By Phiwa Sikhondze
The fire that broke out at Bhunu Mall in Manzini late Sunday night, has caused extensive damage to numerous businesses and left the local community in shock.
The fire started around 11:30 PM and left the second floor completely burnt down. The mall remains closed as inspections are ongoing to ascertain the structural fitness of the remaining floors.
According to the Chairperson of the Board of Directors at Bhunu Mall, Lombuso Dlamini, the monetary value of the damage caused by this blaze cannot be confirmed because they are in the process of getting the right information from the relevant stakeholders.
Dlamini added that the second floor of the mall only contains offices, meaning it is mostly offices that were affected by the fire. She said that the retail section, which is the ground floor with retail shops was not affected much. However, she did mention that there is some impact on some.
On another note, an Asian business owner operating a business in the affected space spoke on condition of anonymity, revealing that the fire cost him an estimated loss of over a million. Because this is a loss on a single business, the overall economic impact of the fire on the mall’s numerous enterprises could be worse.
The Eswatini Fire and Emergency Services responded swiftly, but the intensity of the fire made it difficult to contain. Firefighters battled the blaze for hours before bringing it under control in the early hours of Monday morning.
The Minister of Commerce, Industry, and Trade, Manqoba Khumalo, visited Bhunu Mall following the tragic fire eruption. He was accompanied by Tibiyo Takangwane Chairman Dr. Absalom Themba Dlamini and the Manzini Regional Administrator Prince Chief Gija, who also came to witness the damage.
Khumalo highlighted that they were waiting for a formal report from the relevant bodies to determine how the government could assist the affected business people.
“We are deeply saddened by this incident,” said Minister Khumalo. “We will work closely with the affected businesses to provide the necessary support and ensure they can get back on their feet as soon as possible.”
Preliminary investigations suggest that the fire may have started from within the mall, contrary to some initial speculations about an external source.
According to Senior Superintendent Phindile Vilakati of the Royal Eswatini Police Service, investigators are working to determine the exact cause of the fire and have called in experts to assess the damage and find out the root cause. Vilakati has asked everyone to stay calm and assured the public that more information will be shared as soon as it is available.
The economic impact of the fire is expected to be significant, as Bhunu Mall is a major commercial hub in Manzini. Many small businesses that operate within the mall are now facing uncertain futures.