Live Updates:Hawks have downloaded the CCTV footage in Parliament.

By Lehlohonolo Lehana.

One fire engine remains on site and has been monitoring the situation.

Hawks have downloaded the CCTV footage.

Public Works and Infrastructure Minister Patricia de Lille says they have two options for alternative accommodation – the Cape Town International Convention Centre has been offered and Cape Town Mayor Geordin Hill-Lewis offered the City Hall and the council chamber. It is now up to the Speaker to determine what the needs are.

De Lille said they have appointed a fire expert to work with Cape Town’s forensic team to determine where the fire have started.

She said they are now waiting for Cape Town to hand over the building to the police and her team. De Lille says she was on the scene with state security deputy minister Zizi Kodwa since Sunday. She briefed Speaker Mapisa-Nqakula on Monday.

De Lille added what stood out amid the doom and gloom was the outpouring of help from the city and province. She also lauded the City of Cape Town firefighters.

She also said the Hawks have downloaded the CCTV footage, but it is not available to the committee at this moment.

“Inside Parliament it is pitch, pitch dark,” said De Lille. She says nobody is allowed to take pictures at the moment.

De Lille together with the acting department director-general Imtiaz Faizel, and project manager Thembeka Kolele presented a progress report on repairs done after the March 2021 parliament fire on Tuesday.

Kolele’s report shows that after the March fire, problems identified with the water supply and fire hydrants functionality were fixed.

The report also revealed steps taken to solve problems that arose after a devastating power outage that hit the city of Cape Town on 21 December 2021.

Video graphics cards from the CCTV systems, and parliament’s UPS system among other things were affected, but Kolele insisted the department had tended to all the damages.

From the day of the outage, leading up until the fire incident on 2 January, the CCTV system was in working order,” said Kolele.

Faizel reiterated that all systems were fully functional and tested before the 2 January fire.

Joint Standing Committee on the Financial Management of Parliament Meeting Re: Preliminary Findings on Fire Damage at the Parliament Building.

Court grants state 7-day postponement for inspection.

The State has been granted a seven-day postponement in the case against the man arrested in connection with the fire that’s destroyed parts of Parliament.

The matter has been postponed for further investigation.

Zandile Christmas Mafe’s arrest was confirmed by the Hawks on Sunday as firefighters battled the blaze.

When Mafe arrived at the dock, he removed his mask and did a 360 turn as cameras flashed. He faces two counts of arson, theft, housebreaking and contravention of the National Key Points Acts.

The State intends to oppose Mafe’s release on bail.

Mafe is being represented by lawyer, Luvuyo Godla: “My submission before this honourable court would be seven days should not be allowed. The State not be delayed today. They had plenty of opportunities to establish whatever they wanted.”

He opposed the State’s request for a postponement and said that his client should be granted bail because he’s given his residential address to the court and posed no flight risk.

Court has granted a 7-day remand of the matter for the State to collect bail information and inspection at the crime scene after it is declared safe. The case is postponed to 11 January. Mafe will remain in custody.

Arson suspect appears in court.

A 49-year old man appear in Cape Town Magistrate’s Court in connection with the massive fire that broke out on Sunday at Parliament. The suspect faces charges of housebreaking, theft and arson, as well as charges under the National Key Points Act, wiith additional charges expected to be added.

It’s understood the suspect was allegedly spotted by members of the Protection and Security Services, a division of the police service responsible for security at Parliament when they noticed the building was on fire.

The matter has been referred to the Hawks’ Crimes Against the State team for further investigation. A large media contingentis present at the magistrate’s court on Tuesday morning. Advocate Luvuyo Godla will be representing the accused.

Parliament fire flare up contained.

Parliament spokesperson Moloto Mothapo has confirmed this morning that the fire that flared up on Monday afternoon has now been contained.

On Monday afternoon, the Presiding Officers of Parliament 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 on Monday afternoon.

Firefighters at the scene were reinforced following the sudden re-emergence of the raging fire. There were six firefighting appliances and a hydraulic platform, with 34 firefighters actively fighting the flames at the scene on Monday.

The resurgence of the fire follows earlier information from firefighters regarding the risky high temperature levels at the gutted buildings.

Mothapo said on Twitter this morning that there was a bit of positive news this morning. “… the fire flare up that occurred yesterday afternoon has now been contained. The roof where the flare up occurred and the third to fifth floors were destroyed. Twenty crew members remain on site to monitor situation and assess parts of the building.”

He said significant progress has been made by firefighters in the battle against the  flare up at the roof of National Assembly Building.

He said by midnight the fire had been drastically reduced. However, he said further damages were caused at several floors of the building.

The multi-agency and multi-pronged team of engineers, which arrived at Parliament on Monday 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.

Firefighters contain Parliament fire, but still looking for hotspots.

Firefighters struggled for several hours to douse flames on the roof of Parliament after another fire broke out on Monday evening.

Around 30 firefighters battled to extinguish the blaze.

The mayoral committee member for safety and security, JP Smith, said: “The fifth and fifth floors of the new wing, above the National Assembly, are completely gutted.”

Fire brought under control at around midnight. 

A fire at Parliament, which flared up on Monday, was brought under control at around midnight.

Firefighters worked through the night, going from room to room, locating and extinguishing any hotshots. In some rooms, this requires pulling apart the interior wooden cladding to identify concealed hotspots.

Mayco member for safety and security JP Smith says the fourth and fifth floors of the New Assembly have been completely gutted.

Speaker denies claims she dropped the ball despite security concerns.

National Assembly Speaker Nosiviwe Mapisa-Nqakula has denied claims she dropped the ball despite a number of security concerns raised about the parliamentary precinct. 

Mapisa-Nqakula was grilled by journalists over lacklustre security over the last few months and the dwindling number of police personnel at the precinct. “Parliament is a national key point. And I will not take responsibility for anything that you are suggesting, which is that there may be charges of treason for me as Speaker because Parliament burnt down,” she said. 

CCTV was working, but no one was watching.

– Preliminary assessments by parliamentary presiding officers and the department of public works reveal a lapse in SAPS monitoring of parliamentary CCTV footage.

– The 49-year-old suspect was caught on camera as early as 2am yet there were no alarms raised, said Public Works Minister Patricia de Lille. 

– Despite the blaze, the SONA and the budget speech are set to go ahead, with the Cape Town city hall being the possible venue.

Helen Zille takes a swipe at EFF’s Ndlozi for ‘celebrating tragedy’.

DA federal chairperson Helen Zille has taken a swipe at EFF MP Mbuyiseni Ndlozi for his calls to move parliament to Gauteng, after parts of the buildings in Cape Town were damaged by a fire on Sunday.

Zille accused Ndlozi of “celebrating this tragedy” rather than offering solutions that would ensure parliament could continue its work without disruption.  

She was responding to Cape Town mayor Geordin Hill-Lewis, who offered alternative venues for the state of the nation address scheduled for February 10 and the budget speech.

“Cape Town will make our council chamber available to the Speaker for sittings of the National Assembly, as well as the use of the Grand Parade and City Hall for the state of the nation address. We want to see parliament continue its important work, and we will do what we can to help,” he said.

Zille sang Hill-Lewis’ praises, saying he demonstrated leadership while the EFF called for parliament to be moved to Gauteng.

“Thank you, Mr Mayor. While the EFF’s Mbuyiseni Ndlozi celebrated this tragedy and urged parliament be moved to Tshwane instead, you were trying to ensure the business of parliament continues in city facilities. No wonder the president says there is one city that works in SA,” she said.

Ndlozi had earlier said the fire offered an opportunity to rebuild parliament in Tshwane.

“Whatever the cause. Whatever the intentions: it is a beautiful fire. A fire that allows us to start from scratch. A clean slate. Don’t renovate. Turn it into a museum as we accept a gift of so beautiful a fire. A clean slate to start afresh: in Tshwane.”

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