South Africa: devastating Parliament fire under control, suspect arrested

The blaze has finally been brought under control. The devastating fire in the South African Parliament in Cape Town, which broke out early Sunday morning and reduced the National Assembly precinct to ashes, was contained on Monday, January 3, according to firefighters. “The fire was brought under control overnight, the staff on site were gradually reduced”, said their spokesperson Jermaine Carelse. About twenty rescuers were still there, the fire continuing in the oldest parts of the building which conceal treasures: some 4,000 works of art and heritage, some of which date back to the 17th century.

The fire started very early on Sunday in the oldest wing of the building, completed in 1884, with rooms covered with precious wood and where parliamentarians previously sat. “The roof of the old building housing the National Assembly has collapsed, nothing remains”, the head of the city’s security and emergency services, Jean-Pierre Smith, told reporters. “The whole has suffered extensive damage caused by smoke and water”, he added. “Most of the damage is probably in this building which will not be able to be used for months.”, said firefighter spokesperson Jermaine Carelse.

According to the first elements of the investigation, the fire broke out in two separate homes. A shutdown of the water supply prevented the automatic extinguishing system from functioning properly. A report must be submitted within 24 hours to President Cyril Ramaphosa, who visited the site on Sunday. The presidents of the two chambers and members of the government must meet during the day for a first inventory, after this second fire in less than a year.

No casualties have been reported and the origin of the fire is not known at this stage. Police have confirmed detaining a 49-year-old man. “A man has been arrested inside Parliament, he is still being questioned as part of a criminal investigation. He will appear in court on Tuesday”, said Thandi Mbambo, spokesperson for the Hawks, the elite police unit. He has been charged with “burglary, arson” and will be prosecuted for threatening state property.

It was in Parliament that the last white South African president, who died in November, Frederik Willem de Klerk, announced in February 1990 the end of the racist apartheid regime. Cape Town has been the seat of Parliament since 1910, made up of the National Assembly and an upper house called the National Council of Provinces, while the government is based in Pretoria.