South Africa: Parliament fire flares up again

Firefighters were battling to contain a new fire at the South African Parliament on Monday. Earlier in the morning, the fire had seemed to be under control.

"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.

The blaze caused extensive damage and knocked down the roof of the old assembly building, authorities said.

"The fire was brought under control during the night," spokesman Jermaine Carelse had told reporters on Monday morning, adding that the fire was still burning in the oldest wing of the complex, which was built in 1884.

He warned that the current National Assembly chamber, located in one of the newer buildings, "won't be used for months."

City of Cape Town safety and security official J.P. Smith said that the main chamber of the National Assembly was "completely gutted." 

"The entire Parliament complex is severely damaged, waterlogged and smoke damaged," Smith said.

Police launch criminal case

A man was detained in connection with the initial blaze and the authorities have opened a criminal investigation, according to local media. However, the authorities did not immediately confirm that the blaze was caused by arson. The man was due to appear before court on Tuesday.

"It is alleged that he gained entrance through the window in one of the offices," spokesperson Nomthandazo Mbambo told eNCA television. He added that authorities were looking into how the suspect had managed to evade security.

A union representative also claimed security guards were not on duty when the fire started early on Sunday, because of cost cutting directives.

Sprinkler system failed

The Parliament complex houses many unique historical artifacts, including rare books and the original copy of the former Afrikaans national anthem. It is also the home of the 120-meter (roughly 390-foot) Keiskamma tapestry, which shows the history of South Africa from the earliest indigenous peoples to the end of the Apartheid era in 1994. Cape Town security commissioner Jean-Pierre Smith said "nothing" was left of the section where the tapestry was located.

He also told news channel eNCA that the electricity and ventilation systems failed to shut off during the fire. Separately, President Cyril Ramaphosa told reporters that the sprinkler system apparently failed.

It was not immediately clear if the issues were the result of poor maintenance or deliberate tampering.

Cape Town Mayor Geordin Hill-Lewis offered city venues for lawmakers to continue their work, describing the fire as a "national tragedy."

dj/msh (AFP, dpa)