Man charged with arson after fire ravages South African parliament

A fresh blaze broke out on Monday after news of the arrest

Firefighters work after the blaze broke out in the parliament (via REUTERS)

South African police have charged a man with arson over a fire that ravaged the national parliament building in Cape Town, as firefighters struggled to extinguish the last remains of the blaze.

The fire broke out early on Sunday at the parliamentary complex, some of which dates back to 1884 and includes the National Assembly, or lower House of Parliament.

It caused the collapse of the roof housing the upper chamber and gutted an entire floor, though there were no reports of anybody being hurt in the blaze.

On Monday, a fresh fire broke out as firefighters struggled to extinguish the new blaze at the complex.

“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,” a spokesman for the city’s fire services said on Monday afternoon.

“It is a very abnormal kind of situation,” said Nosiviwe Mapisa-Nqakula, speaker of the National Assembly.

Sunday’s fire caused the roof of the New Wing housing the lower chamber National Assembly to collapse. The roof of the Old Wing, which dates back to 1884 and houses the upper chamber National Council of Provinces (NCOP), also partially collapsed.

A 49-year-old suspect arrested in connection with Sunday’s blaze is expected to appear in court on Tuesday and will face charges of housebreaking and theft as well as arson, an elite police unit known as the Hawks said in a statement.

“It is alleged that he gained entrance through the window in one of the offices,” Hawks spokesperson Nomthandazo Mbambo told eNCA television. “There is a possibility of other charges being added as there was a security breach here.”

Jean-Pierre Smith, a Cape Town mayoral committee member responsible for safety and security, said firefighters were still dealing on Monday with “hotspots on the 4th floor of the National Assembly which is still smouldering”.

“Lots of books and bookshelves (are) smouldering,” he said, adding that the interior of the National Assembly had been extensively destroyed by fire, water, heat and smoke.