/ 7 June 1999

BLAZE GUTS GRAHAMSTOWN SQUARE

A BLAZE on the weekend swept through Grahamstown’s historic Church Square, with some of the buildings destroyed by the fire national monuments dating back to the 1820s. The fire started Ackermans, directly opposite the city’s landmark Anglican St Michael & St George’s Cathedral and spread quickly through the nearby buildings. Damage is estimated at between R15-million and R20-million. A 13-year-old streetchild was arrested at 5.30am on Sunday after Ackermans’ alarm went off. He was caught fleeing down a side street carrying new clothes with Ackermans tags.