The popular Praza Barbalaza (old Bush Pub) in Tofo, Mozambique, was reduced to ashes last night, November 8.

With the ongoing political unrest in parts of Mozambique, questions immediately started swirling around the cause of the fire. Lowvelder can, however, confirm that the fire was unrelated to the political unrest.

This as the owner, Rudi de Beer confirmed on Facebook that the fire may have been caused by an electrical problem. Inhambane (where Tofo is located) has reportedly been quiet throughout the unrest.

This publication has been trying to reach the owners of this iconic pub throughout the morning, but was unsuccessful due to limited cellphone reception in Mozambique. We did, however, manage to track down a neighbour who shared some details of the incident with us.

Herliaan Visser explained that cellphone reception has been scant since the outbreak of the protests. Making matters worse, the town was also without electricity on Saturday morning and calls kept on getting dropped.

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She briefly explained on WhatsApp that the first call for help went out at 22:20, which means the fire must have broken out at around 22:00. She said everything was lost, including the De Beer family home that was located on the same complex as the bar. Adding to the tragedy was the timing of the fire. The newly renovated hangout was relaunched last December.

Fighting fires in that sandy part of Inhambane was a tall order as there were no 4×4 fire trucks that could swiftly access the beachfront areas.

Visser explained that building materials traditionally used in that area, consisting of highly flammable natural materials such a thatch and wood, significantly increased the fire risk.

The added annual cyclone threat also added to property owners’ risk. Consequently, many properties cannot get insurance, and those that can pay a hefty premium, understood to escalate up to R20 000 per month. That is why, she said, many properties that burn down there take years to rebuild.

She elaborated on the cooling properties of thatch roofs, explaining that while a tile roof was less prone to fire, it necessitated more reliance on air conditioning.

In the tropical climate, air conditioners quickly rusted which greatly increased maintenance cost.

Visser said she knew what it felt like to lose everything as they had lost half of their lodge to fire a few years ago. She could, however, not comment on whether Praza Barbalaza was insured.

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