Justice was delayed but necessarily not denied at Alexandra Magistrates’ Court recently (24 April) when the public was prohibited entry after a prosecutor’s offices nearest to the entrance caught alight.
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Witnesses said the incident occurred as officials were streaming in the morning for duty resulting in the temporary closure of the office block to the public except for suspects. It wasn’t specified if any scheduled cases were postponed.
Security guards manning the entrance are said to have assisted to extinguish the fire which was confined to the office resulting in five of them being treated on the scene and booked off work as a precaution against smoke inhalation. This after holding the fort with fire extinguishers before the arrival of an ambulance and the fire brigade who ensured the fire was totally extinguished and the place safe for public entry around 10 am.
Witnesses said the fire blew out when the prosecutor opened the door resulting in damage to his gown and some office equipment including a cabinet containing books and other documents said to be unrelated to court proceedings.
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The office manager wasn’t present at the time of reporting but an investigation is expected to determine the cause and loss from the fire.
