Fire damages Himeville Magistrates Court after contractor lights office fireplace
The magistrate's office, NPA offices and courtroom were badly damaged, while the cash hall and charge sheet filing room survived the blaze.
A fire broke out at the Himeville Magistrates Court in KwaZulu-Natal on Saturday 23 May 2026, damaging the magistrate’s office, the offices of the National Prosecuting Authority and the courtroom.
The Minister of Justice and Constitutional Development, Ms Mmamoloko Kubayi, confirmed the fire in a statement issued by her department on Sunday 24 May. Himeville falls under the Harry Gwala District Municipality.
What the department says happened
Preliminary information indicates the fire started in the magistrate’s office. A contractor working on site had lit a fire in the office fireplace, and it spread through the court building.
Emergency services were called to the scene and worked to contain the blaze. No injuries and no fatalities have been reported.
The cash hall and the filing room containing charge sheets and related court records remain unaffected.
The department confirmed that the cash hall and the filing room holding charge sheets and related court records came through the fire unaffected. The magistrate’s office, the NPA offices and the courtroom sustained severe damage.
Where the court will sit next
The Department of Justice and Constitutional Development and the Department of Public Works and Infrastructure, through its Real Estate Management Services unit, are working together to identify alternative state-owned properties that can house the magistrates’ court as an interim measure.
The department said further communication will be issued in due course on provisional operational arrangements, so that essential judicial services continue for the affected community.
What it means for people in Himeville
The court serves residents of Himeville and the surrounding Harry Gwala District. Until alternative premises are confirmed, the practical effect falls on anyone with a matter enrolled at the court, and on the prosecutors and officials who work from it.
That the filing room and its charge sheets survived matters for every case already before the court, because the paper record those matters rest on was not lost in the fire. The department has not yet said when or where the court will reopen.
Media enquiries are directed to Ms Palesa Rammitlwa, spokesperson to the Minister of Justice and Constitutional Development, on 064 933 3628.
The statement was issued by the Ministry of Justice and Constitutional Development of the Republic of South Africa, and can be read.
Source: Department of Justice and Constitutional Development. Read the original item.
