Public Works and Infrastructure Minister Patricia De Lille says there will be another media briefing on Monday on the fire that gutted the third floor of the Old Assembly Building of Parliament in Cape Town and caused the roof to collapse.
Meanwhile, the City of Cape Town says it is working on a preliminary report on the possible cause of the fire at Parliament.
The fire broke out on Sunday morning and has caused extensive damage to the National Assembly building, the Old Assembly Building, office space and the gymnasium. Firefighters are still on the scene dealing with hotspots.
Parliament Fire I 49-year-old suspect expected to appear in court on Tuesday: Jean-Pierre Smith
Mayoral Committee Member for Safety and Security, JP Smith.
“The fire readiness and safety of the premises is illustrated by the fact that this is the second fire within 10 months that we are dealing with. That should not be the case. The last one was electrical and we will wait to see what the outcome is of the arrest of the person in question, whatever the situation ends up being. I suspect we may also have to look at the electrical issues. This is an old building and maintenance always becomes an issue over time,” says Smith.
President @CyrilRamaphosa accompanied by Minister @MondliGungubele, Minister @PatriciaDeLille, Deputy Minister @ZiziKodwa, and Premier @AlanWinde as he inspects the damage to the Parliament buildings in Cape Town. pic.twitter.com/ktREgnBhrL
— Presidency | South Africa ?? (@PresidencyZA) January 2, 2022
Parliament Fire I President Ramaphosa praises firefighters for their swift response
