Parliament fire: National Assembly Chamber ‘completely gutted’

The City of Cape Town’s Safety and Security MEC, JP Smith has confirmed that the fire which broke out in Parliament, has caused extensive damage to the new National Assembly chambers.

Smith spoke to news channel eNCA on Monday, 3 January 2022, just a day after the blaze. The fire gutted parts of the parliamentary precinct on early Sunday morning. The old assembly building as well as the adjoining National Assembly building were affected.

News of the fire dominated world headlines – and evidently the local news cycle. There has been a flood of reaction from South Africans, most of them criticising the absence of adequate safety preventative measures. Many also questioned why there was nobody on premises who, at the very least, could have actively reacted – but it has since been learnt that there was no security staff because Parliament cannot afford to pay overtime.

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REPAIRING DAMAGE TO PARLIAMENT FIRE WILL COST ‘MILLIONS’

When asked on eNCA what the state of the new National Assembly Chamber was, in the wake of the fire, JP Smith said to the journalist: “It’s completely gutted, ma’am. I saw the photographs this morning. We were not able to enter yesterday because the ceiling was collapsing and falling down.”

Smith told the news broadcaster that the building’s structure however, remains intact. He says some of the offices in that section of Parliament managed to avoid being engulfed in flames.

“Extensive damage to the old assembly hall offices. The fire seemed to have started at the offices and that roof is gone. The two floors are destroyed, but mercifully, it looks like the Chamber (in the old assembly) is largely unaffected… Not unfortunately so with the new assembly hall. One of the staff says 98% destroyed. It is completely gutted and will need hundreds of millions of rands worth of repair work”

The City of Cape Town’s Safety and Security MEC, JP Smith

The SAPS confirmed that the 49-year-old suspect arrested in connection with the blaze, will make an appearance at the Cape Town Magistrate’s Court on Tuesday, 4 January 2022. The suspect will face charges of theft, arson and housebreaking. They will also be charged under the National Key Point Act.