Cape Town – A fire that broke out at the bulk fuel depot at Air Force Base Waterkloof in Pretoria on Sunday has been extinguished, the SA National Defence Force (SANDF) said.
SANDF said the fire broke out at around 7pm and was contained within the hour by the SA Air Force Fire fighting teams from both Air Force Base Waterkloof and Air Force Base Swartkops in Valhalla, Pretoria.
“The cause of the fire, the magnitude of the damage and the cost of the damage to the Bulk Fuel Depot will form part of an investigation that will interrogate all events and or incidents that might have led to the fire breakout at the Base,” the short statement read.
“No structural damage was reported.”
Speaking to Newzroom Afrika, SANDF spokesperson, Brigadier General Andries Mahapa, said the initial assessment indicated that a fire started at a petrol pump.
“None of the tanks were affected, there was no explosion,” he said.
Speaking to eNCA, Mahapa said that there were no injuries.
He said that the cause of the fire was not known and investigations continued.
Weighing in on the fire, Professor Thuli Madonsela asked: “Is someone or are some people trying to intimidate our democratic institutions? If so who and why? Someone just wrote: ’The most dangerous enemy is the one from within. They have easy access to all these institutions.’ Is this why Waterkloof base is burning? #WaterkloofBaseFire”
Is someone or are some people trying to intimidate our democratic institutions? If so who and why? Someone just wrote:”The most dangerous enemy is the one from within. They have easy access to all these institutions.”Is this why Waterkloof base is burning? #WaterkloofBaseFire
— Prof Thuli Madonsela #SocialJustice (@ThuliMadonsela3) January 23, 2022
ActionSA leader Herman Mashaba also took to Twitter and asked President Cyril Ramaphosa what was happening to South Africa.
“ What on earth is happening to our country President @CyrilRamaphosa? Is this another inexplainable fire? Are we going to have another mentality derailed person to be responsible? Please save our beloved country!”
What on earth is happening to our country President @CyrilRamaphosa?
— Herman Mashaba (@HermanMashaba) January 23, 2022
Is this another inexplainable fire?
Are we going to have another mentality derailed person to be responsible?
Please save our beloved country! https://t.co/7qFPpTQ8Rb
IOL