Turnhalle gutted, fireman in ICU

ONE of Namibia’s historic landmarks, the Turnhalle building in Windhoek, went up in flames during the early hours of yesterday morning.

A seriously burnt firefighter was admitted to the Intensive Care Unit (ICU) of the Roman Catholic hospital, while two others sustained minor burns. By yesterday afternoon, Police and the Windhoek Fire Brigade were still investigating the cause of the blaze.At around 03h00 yesterday, fire engines rushed to the scene on the corner of Robert Mugabe Avenue and Bahnhof Street after a security guard at the British High Commission alerted Police to smoke pouring out of the building.By the time the fire brigade arrived, the entire building, which housed the offices of the SADC Tribunal, had been destroyed by the flames, some which reached high into the sky.Only at around 05h00 did the fire brigade manage to put an end to the destruction.Broken windows, blackened walls and a caved-in roof were the subject of many photographs yesterday, as numerous people visited the scene throughout the day to capture what could be the last days of the historic building.Windhoek City Police public relations officer Marx Hipandwa confirmed yesterday that a 21-year-old firefighter, Nelitu Brass, had suffered serious burns during the fire brigade’s fight to put out the fire.Brass is said to have suffered burns over 75 per cent of his body.Two of his colleagues, 28-year-old Derrick Cloete and Allistair Coetzee (age unknown) both sustained minor injuries to their hands and arms, and both were discharged from hospital yesterday morning.The Registrar at the SADC Tribunal, Charles Mkamdawire, said the damage was mainly confined to the conference room, and thus damage to equipment was minimal.”Fortunately, the offices have not been affected.We’ve done an inspection and most of the computers and other equipment were still intact,” he told The Namibian.The SADC Tribunal has been occupying the main Turnhalle building since October last year, after the building was specifically renovated for that purpose in 2003.One of the architects responsible for the renovations, Monica Ochse from MonArch Architects, said yesterday that the cost of the work was approximately N$3,7 million.Mkamdawire said that the SADC executive in Gaborone had been informed about the destruction of the Turnhalle building, adding that the future of the Tribunal now depends on a decision that will have to be made at that “high level”.The Tribunal was still in the process of getting its systems assembled when the fire broke out, he said, and was not yet started with its main duty – that of resolving disputes among SADC member states.Staff of the Ministry of Information and Broadcasting, who have been making use of the annex to the Turnhalle building, have also been forced to vacate their workplace until the safety of the building can be established, Acting Permanent Secretary Wilma Deetlefs said yesterday.In the meantime, she said, staff have been moved to various other Government offices, including those of the Namibia Communications Commission (NCC) and the Ombudsman’s office.According to local cultural historian Dr Andreas Vogt, the charred main hall of the Turnhalle (German for gymnasium) building was originally built in 1909, to the design of architect Otto Busch, and extended on various occasions.Vogt describes the building’s architecture as “neo-classisist, Wilhelmian”.It is most popularly known for hosting the Turnhalle Conference, a landmark round of political dialogue in Namibia, which started on September 1 1975.Before that, during the first World War, the building served as accommodation for South African Union troops.After Independence, it served as the venue of many international conferences and as the chamber of the National Council until it moved into the Parliament buildings.By yesterday afternoon, Police and the Windhoek Fire Brigade were still investigating the cause of the blaze.At around 03h00 yesterday, fire engines rushed to the scene on the corner of Robert Mugabe Avenue and Bahnhof Street after a security guard at the British High Commission alerted Police to smoke pouring out of the building. By the time the fire brigade arrived, the entire building, which housed the offices of the SADC Tribunal, had been destroyed by the flames, some which reached high into the sky.Only at around 05h00 did the fire brigade manage to put an end to the destruction.Broken windows, blackened walls and a caved-in roof were the subject of many photographs yesterday, as numerous people visited the scene throughout the day to capture what could be the last days of the historic building.Windhoek City Police public relations officer Marx Hipandwa confirmed yesterday that a 21-year-old firefighter, Nelitu Brass, had suffered serious burns during the fire brigade’s fight to put out the fire.Brass is said to have suffered burns over 75 per cent of his body.Two of his colleagues, 28-year-old Derrick Cloete and Allistair Coetzee (age unknown) both sustained minor injuries to their hands and arms, and both were discharged from hospital yesterday morning.The Registrar at the SADC Tribunal, Charles Mkamdawire, said the damage was mainly confined to the conference room, and thus damage to equipment was minimal.”Fortunately, the offices have not been affected.We’ve done an inspection and most of the computers and other equipment were still intact,” he told The Namibian.The SADC Tribunal has been occupying the main Turnhalle building since October last year, after the building was specifically renovated for that purpose in 2003.One of the architects responsible for the renovations, Monica Ochse from MonArch Architects, said yesterday that the cost of the work was approximately N$3,7 million.Mkamdawire said that the SADC executive in Gaborone had been informed about the destruction of the Turnhalle building, adding that the future of the Tribunal now depends on a decision that will have to be made at that “high level”.The Tribunal was still in the process of getting its systems assembled when the fire broke out, he said, and was not yet started with its main duty – that of resolving disputes among SADC member states.Staff of the Ministry of Information and Broadcasting, who have been making use of the annex to the Turnhalle building, have also been forced to vacate their workplace until the safety of the building can be established, Acting Permanent Secretary Wilma Deetlefs said yesterday.In the meantime, she said, staff have been moved to various other Government offices, including those of the Namibia Communications Commission (NCC) and the Ombudsman’s office.According to local cultural historian Dr Andreas Vogt, the charred main hall of the Turnhalle (German for gymnasium) building was originally built in 1909, to the design of architect Otto Busch, and extended on various occasions.Vogt describes the building’s architecture as “neo-classisist, Wilhelmian”.It is most popularly known for hosting the Turnhalle Conference, a landmark round of political dialogue in Namibia, which started on September 1 1975.Before that, during the first World War, the building served as accommodation for South African Union troops.After Independence, it served as the venue of many international conferences and as the chamber of the National Council until it moved into the Parliament buildings.