Part of the Acornhoek Police Station were burnt down on Friday night, August 15, at around 22:20.
The fire flared up causing extensive damage at the Detective offices and the Community Service Centre.
According to a comment from a post on the Hoedspruit Town Facebook page, it is alleged that the motive behind the fire was that perpetrators wanted to destruct the Police so that they can bomb an ATM at the plaza.
The Hoedspruit Herald attempted to get contact and more information about the alleged comment, but there was no response.
However, according to the Acornhoek Police Communication Officer, Captain Mpho Nonyane, the cause of the fire is currently unknown but the Forensic Department of the Police will conduct an investigation regarding the incident.
No one was injured.
She mentioned that a preliminary assessment suggested that only parts of the Station’s roof caved in and more assessment is yet to be conducted to evaluate the extent of the damage caused by the fire.
The Police assured community members that service deliveries at the Police station will not be interrupted.
Lieutenant General Mondli Zuma, the Provincial Commissioner of the Mpumalanga Police, has directed that a temporary Community Service Centre must be established immediately and is currently operating. In the interim, the awaiting trial prisoners have been evacuated to other Police Stations for their safety even though the cells were not burnt.
The normal policing around Acornhoek are currently in progress. The management would like to inform community members that if they want to access the Police Station, that there are signs to direct them for their convenience.
Moreover, the Community Service Centre contact details have been made available for the community as an alternative means of communication. For Community Service Centre call 071-2570-052/079-8012-832 or Station Commander, Colonel Nicholas Ntiwane on 082-5858-326. Anyone with information regarding the fire may contact those numbers.
