By Lehlohonolo Lehana.
Windy conditions may have caused embers to reignite.
Authorities have deployed drones to ascertain the extent of the damage to the Parliament buildings in Cape Town, while a fire continues to rage on the National Assembly roof.
The roof caught fire again on Monday afternoon after firefighters had managed to bring it under control.
The City’s fire and rescue services teams said windy conditions may have caused embers to reignite.
Firefighters have been working for hours to dowse the new blaze.
The fire, which began on Sunday, has completely gutted the National Assembly, as well as four floors above old Parliament.
— Parliament of RSA (@ParliamentofRSA) January 3, 2022
Government officials, however, said on Monday that the National Council of Province’s Chamber Offices, the Parliamentary Library, and a museum were all spared from damage. Offices for the president, speaker and deputy speaker were also not affected.
It was reported that an area housing historical artefacts has also survived.
The government has assured that parliamentary work will not be impeded by the incident, and said the State of the Nation address will not be postponed.
City of Cape Town provides an update to the fire.
The City of Cape Town’s fire and rescue services says windy conditions mean the smouldering wood inside the roof space means parts are not accessible for firefighters.
A spokesperson, Jermaine Carelse, said: “The strategy is to contain to current fire area above 4th and 5th floor. Eight pumps are now on scene. Large sections of roof void and 5th floor involved.”
RE-EMERGENCE OF FIRE IN THE NATIONAL ASSEMBLY BUILDING: Firefighters are on the scene. #ParliamentFire pic.twitter.com/MXmklIS9MG
— Parliament of RSA (@ParliamentofRSA) January 3, 2022
Parliament awaiting information on the re-emergence of the fire.
Parliament spokesperson Moloto Mothapo spoke to journalists outside the precinct said they are distressed by the flare-up that has broken out on the roof of parliament.
“During the press conference earlier, we said the issue of high temperatures inside the building. We are waiting for the full information from the firefighters what was the reason behind this sudden re-emergence,” he said.
Currently, firefighters are still battling to contain the flare-up on the roof. About 30 firefighters are on the scene.
“It’s a very devastating and distressing situation, but we continue to appreciate all the efforts and the courageous, brave battle that the firefighters continue to put,” he said.
Parliament: Re-emergence of fire on National Assembly roof could have been due to temperature in burnt buildings.
The Presiding Officers of Parliament have noted with distress yet another flare up of flames on the roof of the National Assembly Building in Cape Town.
The almost two-day brave and courageous battle by firefighters against the flames that gutted various buildings of Parliament suffered a set-back when flames suddenly flared up from the roof of the Building this afternoon.
Firefighters at the scene have been reinforced following the sudden re-emergence of the raging fire. There are currently six firefighting appliances and a hydraulic platform, with 34 firefighters actively fighting the flames at the scene.
The resurgence of the fire follows earlier information from firefighters regarding the risky high temperature levels at the gutted buildings.
The multi-agency and multi-pronged team of engineers, which arrived at Parliament today was scheduled to begin with its investigative work.
The Presiding Officers continue to be encouraged by the resilience, courage and bravery of the firefighters in their battle to bring the fire under complete control.
Road Closures: Bureau and Adderley;Roeland at Hope Street;Plein between Spin and St John’s; Roeland closed at Buitenkant towards Parliament; and St John’s closed at Vrede.
National Assembly building roof on fire again.
The City of Cape Town provides an update on the roof fire.
The City’s fire and rescue spokesperson, Jermaine Carelse said: “The Fire and Rescue Service confirms that the fire at Parliament has flared up.
“The void beneath the roof sheeting of the national assembly is on fire. Currently there are six firefighting appliances on scene, as well as the hydraulic platform. There are about 34 firefighters are busy with active firefighting.”
It comes after firefighters struggled for several hours to try and contain a blaze that started on Sunday. The fire was contained earlier today.
Dark smoke fumes can be seen from the building a fire brigade was seen rushing to the scene. The roads leading past parliament have been closed by police.
Preliminary report on Parliament fire to be released on Friday.
Fire experts could not gain access to the old national assembly building on Monday due to the extensive heat from the fire that engulfed the historic building on Sunday.
Public Works Minister Patricia de Lille said on Monday the team had to use a drone to get an understanding of the extent of the damage caused by the fire which engulfed the historic building on Sunday morning.
A 49-year-old man is reported to have been arrested in connection with the fire and is expected to appear in the Cape Town Magistrate’s Court on Tuesday.
“This morning (Monday) the department has brought in a team of engineers that include electrical and structural engineers and an architect. The team could not access the building due to the high temperature which was still around 100 degrees celsius.
“They used a drone to access the building until the heat cools down. The fire experts have indicated that a preliminary report on the cause of the fire can be expected on Friday morning. This report will give an indication of the estimated cost in damages,”said De Lille at a media briefing on Monday.
De Lille said the CCTV cameras were operational in parliament when the incident took place. She said the cameras are manned by the SAPS.
“The problem is that there was no monitoring of the CCTV cameras on that fateful night. Obviously, there was a security breach so we will have to investigate why it was not picked up that there was somebody in the building on that night,” said De Lille.
Chairperson of the National Council of Provinces Amos Masondo said that multi-pronged investigations were underway, and that no stone will be left unturned to get to the bottom of the cause of the fire.
“We wish to assure you that the state of the nation address and other planned parliamentary programmes will take place as scheduled. The precinct of parliament continues to be guarded by the police so anyone with information on the fire must bring such to the authorities instead of leading to people making wild speculations,”said Masondo.
Masondo said that the National Assembly building is one of three linked buildings that comprises the Parliament buildings in Cape Town. He said, in 2008, new offices were added for the president, speaker and deputy speaker, but these offices were not affected.
He added that the NCOP Chamber Offices, Parliamentary Library, Museum, and a tapestry were all spared from damage.
Masondo extended parliament’s gratitude to fire and rescue workers. He said they are grateful to President Cyril Ramaphosa and a number of his executive who have been hands on from the onset providing moral support to the fire fighters.
DA: Samantha Graham-Maré MP,Could the extent of the damage have been prevented?
The devastating fire that ripped through the Parliamentary precinct yesterday was the second fire in Parliament in the last 10 months – both of which appear to have emanated in the Old Assembly Building.
While it is too early to speculate whether the cause of the fire could have been prevented, we need to question whether the extent of the damage could have been limited.
Following the fire in March 2021, a report, printed in August 2021, was concluded by the Parliament Fire Incident Restoration Team which identified several issues pertaining to the Fire Warning Systems, as well as the Fire Fighting Equipment – both of which fall under the auspices of the Department of Public Works and Infrastructure.
In particular, the lack of smoke detectors in the roof space of the Old Assembly Building, and that the existing smoke detectors in the building itself were practically obsolete were shocking revelations. There are clear recommendations in the report to address some of the failings identified.
Subsequent to this fire, I was alerted to an independent report by an external auditing company, BDO, entitled Review of Parliament’s Prestige Construction Projects which was completed in September 2020. Following a written question that I submitted to the Minister of Public Works and Infrastructure, she requested the report and received same on 17 September 2021 – almost a full year after it was finalised.
The Minister accused her Department of withholding the report from her – a shocking indictment on her relationship with the officials in the Department for which she is responsible. And also a dangerous situation if it has resulted in a lack of implementation of the recommendations made in the BDO Report.
In response to my request for a copy of the report, the Minister advised that she had submitted it to the Speaker of Parliament and that they would be completing an internal consultative process by the end of September 2021. This report allegedly had at least 30 findings that pointed to risks associated with the precinct, including a finding that the fire protection systems were inadequate for a heritage building.
I have requested a copy of this report through various channels to no avail which is a direct infringement of my right to perform oversight over Minister De Lille and her Department. It is now time for the BDO report to be made available to the Portfolio Committee on Public Works and Infrastructure and for Minister De Lille and her Department to account firstly, for the reasons behind the delay in tabling their report, and secondly, for their failure to address the findings in both reports and the implementation of the treatment plan proposed in the BDO report.
While the cause of the fire is yet to be determined, the idea that the extent of the damage it caused could have been mitigated had the Department of Public Works and Infrastructure implemented the recommendations in the various reports is a bitter pill to swallow.
Fortunately, there has been no loss of life. We might not be so lucky next time.
Parliament’s presiding officers brief media on latest developments on devastating fire.
‘Western Cape government salutes City of Cape Town firefighters for quick response to fire at Parliament’.
The devastating fire on the Parliamentary Precinct is extremely upsetting. No stone must be left unturned in determining the cause of the fire, with the findings of a full investigation being made public so that this terrible incident is prevented in the future.
The National Parliament, housed in Cape Town, is not just a series of buildings. It is the home of our democracy, which we must care for and protect. I visited the precinct yesterday with President Cyril Ramaphosa, and I echo his praise for the City of Cape Town. The City’s firefighters acted with speed and professionalism and helped get the situation under control. We salute these frontline officers for their bravery.
We have also let the president and the presiding officers of Parliament know that the Western Cape government is ready to assist however possible to ensure that the State of the Nation Address continues as planned in Cape Town. I welcome and support the proactive stance taken by Cape Town Mayor, Geordin Hill-Lewis, in offering city assets for this purpose.
It is important that we come together during difficult times in defence and promotion of our hard-won Constitutional Democracy.
ANC Chief Whip devastated on Parliament fire.
ANC Chief Whip Pemmy Majodina said she is “devastated” by what has happened at Parliament in the early hours of Sunday morning.
Presiding Officer to ensure limited disruption to work of Parliament.
The Presiding Officers of Parliament have assured that all efforts will be made to limit any disruption to the business of Parliament following the fire that gutted parts of the precinct on Sunday.
In a statement, the Speaker of the National Assembly (NA), Nosiviwe Mapisa-Nqakula, and the Chairperson of the National Council of Provinces (NCOP), Amos Masondo, said the fire that destroyed parts of Parliament came at a critical time when preparations for hosting the 2022 State of the Nation Address and Budget speech were at an advanced stage.
President Cyril Ramaphosa had requested the Speaker to convene a Joint Sitting of Parliament for the State of the Nation Address on 10 February 2022.
The firefighters fought the blaze throughout the day, bringing under complete control fire in the NCOP offices, and continued to battle the flames in the NA Chamber and some offices that were severely gutted by fire.
Significant damage has been caused to the New Assembly Wing, which includes the NA Chamber.
The Presiding Officers however confirmed these flagship programmes of Parliament will not be affected by this unfortunate incident.
While urging the law enforcement agencies to leave no stone unturned in establishing the cause of the incident, they welcomed the swift arrest of a man in his 50s in connection with the incident.
Mapisa-Nqakula and Masondo further appealed for calm, cautioned against any speculation and encouraged everyone to afford the law enforcement authorities space to investigate and provide the much-needed conclusive information.
Ramaphosa, who visited the site of the fire yesterday, said he was deeply saddened by the scenes he had witnessed.
“This is a disastrous event that should sadden all of us… Notwithstanding the damage that has been done to this precinct, the work of Parliament will carry on.”
He said the speedy response of the Western Cape government and the City of Cape Town in mobilising the response to this emergency was appreciated.
“The real praise and applause belongs to the fire officials and crews of the City of Cape Town who have done a great job.
“While they have worked to stop Parliament from being razed to ashes, it is very clear that this fire has devastated the parliamentary precinct and its contents and assets, including Parliament’s historical treasures of heritage,” he said.
Ramaphosa said Parliament and the security agencies of government are looking into the cause of the incident and these investigations must be allowed to continue.
“While these investigations continue, I believe we are united as a nation in our sadness at this destruction of the home of our democracy. In the wake of this devastating occurrence we will continue to consult on what we can do to ensure continuity in the functioning of Parliament as the critical institution in our democratic infrastructure.”
Parliament TV off air after fire.
After Sunday’s fire started at Parliament in Cape Town, Parliament TV, carried on MultiChoice’s DStv channel 408, first ceased programming and then added a “programming interrupted” blue screen notification.
City of Cape Town’s JP Smith describes the extent of the fire.
Senior fire safety staff are putting together their findings after they looked into the cause of the fire that broke out at Parliament in Cape Town on Sunday.
Their findings will be handed over to the police, mayco member for safety and security JP Smith said.
“The old Parliament building is completely gutted and [it] should cost hundreds of millions of rands to fix that extent of the damage. The temperature in there is still around 100 degrees making it difficult to fully determine the true extent of damages.
Three of the four floors above the old Parliament have also been completely severely damaged with some of the damage also caused by water damage. Parts of the old assembly hall have also been affected, but so far it seems like that building escaped without too much damage.”
Update:The firefighters are still attending to hotspots.
Fire and Rescue Services battling the blaze at Parliament were scaled-down from around 21:00 on Sunday night. On Monday morning, there were around 20 firefighters still on the scene. The firefighters are still attending to hotspots on the 4th floor of the National Assembly.
Parliament repairs could take “longer” – Expert.
Professor of structural and fire engineering and Head of the Fire Engineering Research Unit at Stellenbosch University (FireSUN), Richard Walls, said Parliament fire repairs will take “longer.”
Walls said the repair timeline will be determined by a variety of factors, including the investigation into arson, as well as assessments of the building and the extent of the damage.
In addition, it’s hard to carry out repairs when a section of the building remains operational.
He said it is also a heritage problem, which could delay matters.
It could be potentially harder to source materials and there are many aspects to consider when working on the redesign.
While the heritage aspect of the repair will be challenging, it could also be complicated by modern services, such as the kilometres of cabling to replace, as well as security and fire systems.
He said, “none of this is easy for a building designed in a different time”.
There are, however, many modern solutions that would assist in preventing a similar incident in future, such as creating zones to limit the spread of a fire.
Arson suspect to appear in court.
The man arrested in connection with the parliament fire after it was found that someone had closed the sprinkler valves will appear in court on Tuesday, 4 January.
The suspect – who gained access to the parliamentary precinct on Sunday – was charged with theft and arson, and will also face charges related to The National Key Point Act.
He was spotted by members of the Protection and Security Services (PSS) when they noticed the building was on fire.
Minister of Public Works and Infrastructure Patricia de Lille on Sunday confirmed the arrest docket had been handed over to the Hawks.