Pretoria – Gauteng police are investigating the cause of a fire that engulfed the Yeoville Market in the early hours of Tuesday, leaving at least 23 stalls burnt to the ground.
Police spokesperson Captain Mavela Masondo said the cause of the fire cannot be confirmed at the moment. However, they have opened an inquiry to investigate the cause.
“Police received a phone call from an anonymous person saying that Yeoville Market is on fire. On arrival at the market, the police found firefighters busy extinguishing about five stalls that were burning,” Masondo said.
Some of the damage caused by fire to parts of the Yeoville Market in Joburg. #sabcnews pic.twitter.com/Sr3ai1F8qm
— Tshepo (@tphagane) June 22, 2022
Johannesburg Emergency Services spokesperson, Nana Radebe-Kgiba said the fire had not caused extensive structural damage to the Yeoville Market.
She said 23 of the more than 200 stalls have been burnt.
She also said that the cause of the fire has not been determined.
According to several reports, shop owners have said they have received verbal threats from the Operation Dudula movement and have been told that if they do not leave, their shops will be burnt down.
Speaking to the Daily Maverick, the spokesperson of Operation Dudula, Zandile Dubula, said the information she received said the fire was caused by a faulty heater.
“If they have proof, they need to bring it forward. We at Operation Dudula do not promote criminality. So if it’s one of our members, then we will let the law take its course,” Dubula was quoted saying.
Yeoville market burnt.
Whoever did it, did SA bad pic.twitter.com/VVX0YZtCUc
IOL