Landmark burns down
The old Sibanye-Stillwater offices outside Carletonville burnt down on Monday afternoon after metal thieves are suspected to have set them alight.
Motorists could not believe their eyes when they saw the old offices burning at approximately 17:00. Many residents lamented the burning of the buildings as they used to be the Goldfields office in the area for decades before the company unbundled and Sibanye-Stillwater took over. Sibanye-Stillwater then used the buildings as the Shared Services offices.
Although some say the offices were built in 1952, Sibanye-Stillwater’s executive vice president of investor relations and corporate affairs, Mr James Wellsted, could not confirm this by the time of print.
Although many people grieved the burning of the buildings, the Herald has learnt that zama-zamas had severely plundered them for metal and cables in the months leading up to the fire.
These zamas often fired at Sibanye-Stillwater’s security personnel and even set one of their vehicles alight earlier this year.
Despite this, plans were already underway to make the offices available as a training facility at the time of the fire.
Although the manager of the emergency management services in the West Rand District Municipality, Mr Nico Kahts, confirmed that the local fire department attended the scene, the official cause of the fire and the exact value of the damage is still unknown.
A case of malicious property damage has been opened with the Carletonville police following the incident.
