Fire razes South Africa’s parliament building

There was a fire outbreak on Sunday at the South Africa parliament building in Cape Town. 

The fire broke out on Sunday morning and is said to have severely damaged the old assembly wing, including the chamber.

In a statement, Moloto Mothapo, spokesperson of the parliament, said the cause of the fire is yet to be ascertained.

Mothapo, however, said an investigation has been launched to establish the cause of the fire, adding that no person was injured in the incident.

“Parliament’s Presiding Officers wish to confirm the breakout of a fire on the Parliamentary precinct this morning,” the statement reads.

“The cause of the fire has not yet been established and investigations are underway by the relevant authorities.

“The fire has affected both the Old Assembly Wing and the National Assembly Wing of the buildings of Parliament, which house the chambers of the National Assembly and the National Council of Provinces.

“The fire has been contained in the old wing. Firefighters are currently trying to control the fire in the New Wing, where the fire has affected the National Assembly Chamber.

“National Assembly Speaker, Ms Nosiviwe Mapisa-Nqakula, and Chairperson of the National Council of Provinces, Mr Amos Masondo, have expressed their appreciation to the City of Cape Town Fire and Rescue Services for their prompt reaction and the work done thus far to contain the fire and limit the damage as much as possible.

“The Department of Public Works and Infrastructure, led by Minister Patricia De Lille, the Deputy Minister of State Security Zizi Kodwa, the South African Police Services and security personnel of Parliament are in the Parliamentary Precinct assessing the situation.

“No person has been injured.
The Presiding Officers of Parliament are distressed by this incident and the extent of the damage caused thus far to the precincts of the seat of the national legislature.

“They have urged all relevant authorities to leave no stone unturned in establishing the cause of the fire. The public will be kept updated.”

This is the second time in less than 12 months that the parliament building has been affected by fire.

In March 2021, there was a fire outbreak reportedly caused by an electric fault.