Mabuyane allays fears over smoke seen at gutted Botha Sigcau Building

Eastern Cape premier Oscar Mabuyane has moved to calm public fears after renewed smoke was seen rising from the Botha Sigcau government building in Mthatha, weeks after a fire gutted the landmark.

The 11-storey building, a key hub for regional government, was badly damaged in a blaze on March 24, disrupting operations and raising concerns about the safety of the structure.

In recent days, heavy smoke has again been observed from the building, prompting concern among residents.

Mabuyane said there was no new fire and that the situation was under control.

Speaking at the funeral of Msawenkosi Capa, son of agriculture deputy minister Zoleka Capa, in Ndukundeni village near Flagstaff on Monday, Mabuyane sought to dispel rumours.

“Everything is under control. The increase in smoke is due to trapped heat and combustion gases being safely released from affected strongrooms,” he said.

“Recent operations have focused on addressing residual heat and smoke trapped in strongrooms on affected floors, with the controlled release of heat and combustion gases.

“We wish to reassure the public that the situation remains under control, and the observed smoke forms part of a managed stabilisation process, not new fire activity,” he said.

He said firefighters were carrying out controlled interventions inside the building, including releasing trapped heat and gases to cool the structure and prevent hidden hotspots.

“Firefighters are conducting controlled interventions and external inspections to stabilise the structure and allow for a full damage assessment,” Mabuyane said.

He said the provincial government was working with the King Sabata Dalindyebo Local Municipality and the department of public works and infrastructure to monitor safety at the site and plan recovery.

“We are ensuring business continuity across affected government departments, with alternative arrangements in place to maintain uninterrupted public services,” he said.

Provincial government spokesperson Khuselwa Rantjie said assessments over the past three days confirmed that smoke was still visible from the fifth and eighth floors, where strongrooms continued to release trapped heat and gases.

“Firefighters entered the building to implement a controlled intervention aimed at cooling the structure for faster release of heat and smoke.

“This high-risk activity was conducted to ensure there is no concealed, active fire remaining within closed areas of the building.

“The increase in smoke is attributed to trapped heat and combustion gases now being safely vented from the strongrooms.

“This is an expected and controlled occurrence as conditions stabilise, and it does not indicate any new fire activity,” she said.

Rantjie said the situation remained under control, with teams continuing to monitor the site through periodic external assessments.

Further updates would be issued as needed.

The fire came at twilight, that fragile hour when the day’s labour loosens its grip and night’s hush settles over Lusikisiki. Flames climbed the Botha Sigcau Building —orange tongues against the darkening sky, fierce and unrelenting. For an entire day, the nation watched a landmark burn. For us, the House of King Jongilizwe, it felt like watching a chapter of ourselves go up in smoke — history, governance, continuity glowing red, then ash. Raised in 1976 and named for King Botha Manzolwandle Sigcau, Jongilizwe — ruler of Eastern Pondoland and then Transkei’s first state president, the building held records that bound policy to homelands: land allocations, personnel files and development plans. Not paper alone, but proof that governance touched lives, that promises were kept and sometimes broken and that our path was being written down. King Botha Manzolwandle Sigcau Jongilizwe’s legacy endures. As a visionary leader, he initiated programmes that continued to thrive beyond his tenure, notably the Magwa Tea Plantation. This endeavour generated sustainable employment opportunities and contributed to the development of the Magwa House Building, now known as the OR Tambo Building, in Mthatha — a testament to the lasting impact of his initiatives. That steadiness lived on in his children — Princess Stella Sigcau, the homeland’s first female prime minister and later a minister in democratic SA, King Justice Mpondombini Sigcau (Thandizulu), who bore the crown into succession and Nkosi Ntsikayezwe Sigcau, who carried the fire into ANC activism when many traditional leaders held back. Through them, the courage of their father threads forward, linking us to Faku, the warrior-king who gathered Pondoland into one strength. Yet this fire fell in a time of other losses. For years, the Qaukeni Traditional Council — seat of the AmaMpondo kingship — has seen its homestead stripped of income, privileges handed elsewhere and its matriarch, Her Majesty Queen Lombekiso MaSobhuza Sigcau, left at over 70 to bear indignity in silence. We stood the morning after, before the blackened frame. Burnt, yes — bowed, no. The structure still held against the wind, as we still hold amid assault. The system that mobilises us swiftly when votes are sought, yet falters when we seek reciprocity, must now account for itself — not as convenience, but as necessity Firefighters worked through the night; we name their courage with gratitude. Now, we must account for fragments and reconstruct records. But the deeper work is not about paper. It is about trust. Justice, if it exists, will be in what rises next. We therefore call for the recognition of a lineage that served liberation and governance when both were costly. We also ask that the government, in consultation with our Royal Houses, start to map out clear actions to restore the Botha Sigcau Building. The system that mobilises us swiftly when votes are sought, yet falters when we seek reciprocity, must now account for itself — not as convenience, but as necessity. We also share the sentiment expressed by leaders such as General Bantu Holomisa: the Botha Sigcau Building was more than brick and mortar — it was an administrative beacon where nations and political parties gathered to shape the united SA we live in today. At the same time, we acknowledge the human cost. Public office bearers will be disrupted, and some will lose livelihoods as streamlining follows unforeseen expense. Their service deserves recognition, too. The name Botha Sigcau endures. The building still stands. Our children will inherit more than ash — they will inherit balance, memory and legitimacy. That promise we make today, watching the sky at Qaukeni Great Place for hope instead of smoke. — Prince Leslie Sigcau, on behalf of the Royal Family of the Qaukeni Traditional Council, Mpondoland, Lusikisiki

Meanwhile, efforts are continuing to remove movable assets from the building while authorities assess the full extent of the damage.

The Botha Sigcau building, now 50 years old, housed 684 offices, 11 government departments and more than 1,300 employees, making it a central pillar of provincial administration.

It is named after King Botha Manzolwandle Sigcau, the first president of the Transkei homeland and king of the Eastern Mpondoland Kingdom.

“As a government, we reaffirm our commitment to preserving the heritage of the Eastern Cape,” Mabuyane said.

“The Botha Sigcau building is not just infrastructure; it is a symbol of governance, history and identity in the eastern part of our province.

“We will ensure that its legacy is protected and restored.”

As part of contingency measures, 341 employees from the department of education’s OR Tambo Coastal district — including management and education development officers — have been temporarily relocated.

They are now operating from the Trinset building near Walter Sisulu University’s Zamukulungisa campus to ensure continued service delivery as schools reopened for the second term on Tuesday.

There is cautious optimism that historical archives dating back to the 1800s, believed to be stored in the basement, may have survived the fire, though this has not yet been confirmed.

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