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DESTRUCTION: People look on while others take photos with their phones as the Polokwane Magistrate's Court building is destroyed by a mysterious fire. PHOTO: FRANK MAPONYA

OBSERVING: Deputy Justice and Constitutional Development minister Andries Nel inspects the damage at the Polokwane Magistrate's Court. PHOTO: GOODMAN MUSINA

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• Malema case will not be affected by court fire

IT WILL take at least four years to rebuild the fire-gutted Polokwane Magistrate's Court building.

Deputy Minister of Justice and Constitutional Development Andries Nel, who yesterday visited the site, said it would take millions of rands and at least four years to rebuild the structure.

The building was completely destroyed by a mysterious fire last Friday. The roof also caved in but no injuries were reported.

Nel said most of the dockets were safe but added that some criminal dockets had been destroyed.

"The fire has affected the delivery of services in the regional courts but district courts have not been affected," he said.

Nel said the process of recovering archive material had started as well as reconstructing some records.

As an interim measure while the building is under reconstruction, members of the judiciary would be issued with laptops and 3G cards so they could execute their duties.

The deputy minister said maintenance cases were not affected as the office where the dockets were kept was untouched.

Nel also said R95,500 in maintenance money, admission of guilt fines, witness fees and bail money inside a safe, had been retrieved.

He said forensic investigators were still working on the site to determine the cause of the fire.

The Polokwane Magistrate's Court handled at least 600 criminal and 3,000 civil matters per year, Nel said.

The court has handled 62 criminal cases, 199 traffic cases and a full trial in the district court since Monday, he added.

- frankm@sowetan.co.za

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Tue May 21 07:11:23 SAST 2013 ::

Oct 25, 2012

seribe

This is the same court that Malema was taken to few weeks back. I smell a frog
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Oct 25, 2012

Msiphos01

I see allover here its written in bold letters MALEMA MALEMA SELLO JULIUS
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Oct 25, 2012

RobinX

SO WHODUNNIT? Or will that also become a secret?
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Oct 25, 2012

mokomanemt

bafana ba daveyton ba khothane ka diaparo rena ba limpopo re tshuma di buildings gere khothana,le dira ga nnyane ba daveyton
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Oct 25, 2012

Tikoloshe

....Limpopo=Zim Ext2!!!

JZ, please appoint Bheki as MEC for Safety and Security in Limpopo to deal decisively with these criminals!!!

Really, is this Province and it's people part of Mzansi? What makes them so Retrobate!!!!!
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Oct 25, 2012

Msiphos01

I hear that at the same spot where Madigage Thomas died, there are many people who died there, apparantely the is a beautiful lady who always hitch-hike there if she can point your car whether you stop or not you are going to die. Anyway I wonder if its true.

Then Limpopo must be alive with impossibilities
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Oct 25, 2012

Papage

Tikoloshe
....Limpopo=Zim Ext2!!!

JZ, please appoint Bheki as MEC for Safety and Security in Limpopo to deal decisively with these criminals!!!

Really, is this Province and it's people part of Mzansi? What makes them so Retrobate

Guys what is important between people and Buildings? In KZN, IFP & NFP are shooting each other like no body else business, Bheki must be appointed Safety minister there, to deal with these Zulus, the cause of the fire at that Court was electric fault, so be rest assure, Insurance will fix it.
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Oct 25, 2012

Scorp

"He said forensic investigators were still working on the site to determine the cause of the fire"

...................................
Tikoloshe
....Limpopo=Zim Ext2!!!
Really, is this Province and it's people part of Mzansi? What makes them so Retrobate!!!!!
....................................................
Can you read???
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Oct 25, 2012

T.angel

Personally i dont think Malema has anything to do with that, anyway there are a lot of pissed of offenders out there @ Msiphos01 actually the legend is that there is a black guy dressed as an afrikaner (brown shorts, brown tshirt, long socks etc) whom just appears(ghost) in the road while you driving, i heard it from 3 different people - might be true
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Oct 30, 2012

KG2012

i think u have to reconsider this people, why are u not suprised by this incidents whereby even the courts went into flames?, its bcuz the issues and cases that are discused in court are more than difficult and eventually courts cannot bear to face them, meaning they are divious and impossible to can happen in the presence of mankind,this is not enough u will eventually witness the judges,lawyers and also police and government officials burn in flames infornt of public, God is more angry than usaul the clock is ticking people be warned............
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