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Luthando Mapepa
Chipinge Correspondent
CHIPINGE residents have called for the thorough investigation of a mysterious fire that gutted the local authority’s offices on Tuesday ahead of an imminent external audit.
Investigations by The Manica Post revealed that external auditors are expected in Chipinge in the immediate future after their initial visit was last year stalled by the Covid-19 induced national lockdown.
Officials at Chipinge Town Council attributed the cause of fire which happened around 2pm to a container of hand sanitiser which fell on an electrical socket.
The fire gutted the registry office, although there was minimum damage, thanks to a council fire tanker which reacted swiftly to stop it.
However, interviewed residents said there were smelling a rat.
Chipinge Residents Trust chairman, Mr Vrante Mhlupeko, said the incident should be investigated as this might be a strategy to destroy evidence ahead of the coming of external auditors to look at the council’s books.
“Our organisation wrote to the responsible authorities calling for an audit. Now a fire has occurred in the offices where we believe documented evidence of irregularities of land distribution was being held.
“We are hoping that it was not a strategy to destroy evidence. It does not make sense that sanitiser in a plastic container would cause the fire . Even petrol in a sealed plastic container cannot cause a fire when it comes into conduct with electrical cables. There is need for thorough investigations,” he said.
Chipinge Town Community Association chairperson, Mr Lincoln Zihwi, said:
“Our council should be open to residents. How can a fire incident occur at important offices ahead of an audit. They move around residential areas carrying out fire inspections, yet they can’t do the same at their workplace,” he said. Contacted for comment, the council chairperson, Councillor Zivanai Nyakuchena, dismissed the allegations that council officials were attempting to destroy evidence through the fire. Only a few documents that were on a shelf were burnt, but they are not important at all. A container with hand sanitiser fell on a socket resulting in the fire. Our fire brigade reacted swiftly and managed to stop the fire before spread to other offices.
“Only one employee sustained minor injuries,” he said.
Cllr Nyakuchena confirmed that there is a pending external audit which was stopped by the Covid-19 lockdown.
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