A shroud of mystery surrounds the fire that left a municipal office, containing numerous important municipal documents, in ruins in Louis Trichardt the past weekend.

On Monday morning, visitors to the municipality were greeted by closed gates amidst a strong police presence.

Makhado municipal spokesperson, Mr Louis Bobodi, later that same day released a media statement informing members of the public that the Makhado municipal offices will be temporarily closed for the whole of Monday due to network and electricity problems. This was in response to a media enquiry into whether or not the municipality was closed due to the fire. Bobodi, however, remained tight lipped regarding the fire, referring all media enquiries in this regard to the police.

Upon further enquiry, provincial police spokesperson, Col Ronel Otto, confirmed that police were investigating the cause of the fire. The fire, which completely destroyed a Corporate Service office, was reported by a yet unknown person during the early hours of Sunday morning. Otto said that the Makhado fire brigade managed to contain the blaze, but by then the whole office and its contents had been destroyed. She also confirmed that the police had sent a team of forensic experts to the scene to investigate the circumstances surrounding the fire. By the time of going to press, the preliminary findings of the forensic investigation were still unknown.

The fire and municipal secrecy surrounding it sparked widespread speculation as to whether or not it was deliberate arson. The Democratic Alliance stated that the fire came “after a dismal report by the Auditor General in 2010, indicating that the Makhado Municipality was non-compliant with regulatory requirements and management was found inadequate in monitoring and in supervision over financial reporting and of financial statements.” (See full DA reaction inside)

Some claimed that important tender documents were destroyed in the fire. In the past, the municipality has faced numerous allegations of tender corruption.

In response to what documents were destroyed in the fire, Bobodi replied: “We are still making an analysis of the documents destroyed … and we cannot confirm because we do not know which documents have been destroyed. We are hearing these allegations for the first time and we will appreciate it if anyone with such information could come forward with something concrete.”