Cape Town - Cabinet has said that the investigations into the fires that destroyed properties in Cape Town and Johannesburg at the weekend have begun.
Acting Minister in the Presidency Khumbudzo Ntshavheni said on Thursday that the Cabinet was concerned about the fires. They destroyed historic buildings and materials at UCT and nearby properties were affected.
Minister of Public Works Patricia de Lille early in the week also said a house belonging to one minister was affected in the fire after it was burnt.
More than 4 000 students were evacuated at UCT following the fire.
In Johannesburg, the Charlotte Maxeke Academic Hospital was shut down for a week after some of its sections caught alight.
The government has said personal protective equipment and other medical equipment worth R40 million were burnt in the fire.
Ntshavheni said the investigations would look into the causes of the fires in Cape Town and Johannesburg.
“The Cape Town fires have destroyed historic buildings while the fire at the Charlotte Maxeke academic hospital necessitated the transfer of more than 400 patients to other hospitals.
“Cabinet wished those injured in the fires a speedy recovery. Investigations to determine the cause of these fires have already started,” said Ntshavheni.
Political Bureau