Historic Daily Dispatch building goes up in flames

Vagrants possible cause of blaze

A blaze destroyed the historic former building of Sowetan’s sister publication Daily Dispatch in East London’s Caxton Street yesterday morning,.

Vagrants are suspected of starting the fire, which began around 9.30am, Buffalo City Metro spokesperson Samkelo Ngwenya said.

The building was sold in 2015 when the Dispatch moved to a modern building in Beacon Bay.

The last Daily Dispatch was produced in Caxton Street on December 5 2015.

Daily Dispatch editor CheriAnn James, who was on the scene as firefighters brought the inferno under control, said: “To me, it wasn’t just another building on fire. It was a place where I spent nearly a decade as a young journalist.

“A big part of our history as the Dispatch was forged in that building. It was a sad moment, especially as we celebrate our 150th year as a newspaper.”

Three fire engines and 12 firefighters put out the fire in just under an hour.

There were no casualties as the building was unoccupied, but most of the interior, with its wooden floors and ancient oak staircase, was reduced to ashes. The Daily Dispatch moved into the building in the early 1900s. The plaque still attached at the front entrance dates the building to 1872.

Ngwenya said the old editor’s office, once occupied by Struggle stalwart Donald Woods, had survived the blaze.

The last Daily Dispatch editor to produce a newspaper from the Caxton Street buildings, Bongani Siqoko, who went on to edit the Sunday Times, said: “Watching this really breaks my heart.

“I spent more than 12 years in this building and during that time we produced some of the best journalism in SA and had fun while doing it.

“Some of the best journalists were produced and trained in that building.”

Another former Dispatch editor, Andrew Trench, said: “I knew that building when I joined the Dispatch for my first reporting job and later as the paper’s editor.

“It’s a great shame what has happened to it.”

The current building owner was unavailable for comment.

/ALAN EASON The former Daily Dispatch office building in East London was destroyed by a fire yesterday morning.