First Published Jan 4, 2022, 10:50 AM IST
TheWithin hours, a fire broke out in the Parliament Building in Cape Town, South Africa, saying it was under control. A fire broke out on the roof of the building on Monday as firefighters tried to put out the blaze. The first fire broke out on Sunday, completely destroying the lower chamber of the National Assembly. The fire brigade was inactive all night to put out the blaze. Meanwhile, another fire broke out in the upper floor of the building yesterday.
Police on Sunday arrested a 50-year-old man on suspicion of aiding and abetting the first fire. Police said that he was flogged in the CCTV’s closing downside the waterboard equipment, which was placed in the Middle Agni, the fire in the temple. Police said he was being questioned.
South African President Cyril Ramaphosa said the Special Investigation Team would look into whether anyone else was behind the incident and whether the incident was a coup. He was scheduled to appear in court today (4.1.2022) when another fire broke out in the parliament building last night. He has been charged with arson, burglary and theft.
A parliamentary spokesman, Moloto Matappo, told South Africa’s Timeslive that authorities had warned of possible fires due to carpets and wooden floors in the building. The first fire broke out on the third floor of the building. The blaze, which broke out around midnight, destroyed several ancient and valuable items stored in the parliament building.
News agency AFP reported that only a dozen firefighters were on the scene at the time of the second fire. More firefighters were called to the scene after the second fire broke out, but there were reports of flames from the parliament building late into the night. According to City Council, the fourth and fifth floors of the building were completely destroyed.
It is not clear if the fire in the parliament building was completely extinguished. President Cyril Ramaphosa said the building’s sprinkler system was not working properly at the time of Sunday’s fire. He praised the fire brigade for responding within minutes to the “terrible and devastating incident”.
Minister of State Patricia de Lille said CCTV cameras were not monitoring when the first fire started. Miss de Lilly said the National Assembly Chamber was “completely burned down” by the blaze. Other parts of the parliamentary complex (parts from 1884 onwards) were severely damaged. Parliament is not currently in session due to the recess. So no one was hurt in either fire.
The South African Parliament House is home to thousands of archeological sites, including history books. Officials said photographs and important artwork were preserved in the building. There are fears that the 120-meter-long Keiskamma Tapestry, which recorded South Africa’s history, could be damaged or destroyed by a knife.
The South African Parliament complex consists of three sections. The oldest was built in 1884. Later new buildings built in the 1920s and 1980s are also part of this complex. It is in this complex that the National Assembly convenes. The government-run Pretoria is also housed in the complex. President Cyril Ramaphosa spoke out about his grief over the “destruction of the house of our democracy.”
He reiterated that all efforts would be made to remove the impediment to the functioning of Parliament. The parliament building is expected to take months to renovate. Cape Town Mayor Jordin Hill Lewis said the City Council Chamber will be available for parliament to convene.
This is the second fire in Parliament in a year. In March, a fire broke out in the same building due to a power outage. Last year, a part of the Cape Town University Library, which has a unique collection of African archives, was destroyed by fire.
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