Investigations into the Parliament fire have escalated and, on Monday, the Hawks confirmed that a suspect has been charged with arson.
What caused the Parliament fire?
Cape Town fire and rescue officials were deployed to the national key point situated on 90 Plein Street between 05:00 and 06:00, on Sunday, to handle a fire that had broke out inside the Old Assembly.
By then, the inferno had gained momentum and spread to different sections of the property. While the fire was, in the end, contained, extensive damage was inflicted and, from what we understand, the Old Assembly’s roof completely collapsed.
The full extent of the damage has yet to be detailed in a report expected to be released to the public on Monday.
In a statement, Parliament revealed that, for the most part, the only hotspot area firefighters were focused on since Sunday evening was the fourth floor of the National Assembly.
“The firefighters fought the blaze throughout the day, bringing under complete control fire in the NCOP (National Council of Provinces) 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 fire in these areas has almost been extinguished,” the statement read.
No official report has been released by fire experts and detectives working on the investigation detailing what may have caused the Parliament fire.
However, according to Hawks spokesperson Nomthandazo Mbambo, the incident may have been a case of arson.
What we know about the suspect
In fact, a 49-year-old male has been arrested and formally charged with starting the Parliament fire. It’s unclear, at this stage, if this is the same individual who, according to President Cyril Ramaphosa, was being questioned as a person of interest on Sunday afternoon.
Alas, Mbambo revealed that circumstantial evidence indicates the man may have had something to do with the Parliament fire.
Coincidentally, the suspect was taken in for questioning only moments after the fire broke out. According to Mbambo, he was caught by protection and security officials after he’d trespassed into Parliament and allegedly tried to make off with stolen goods.
“He was spotted by members of the protection and security services when they noticed the building was on fire. The matter was referred to the Hawks as crimes against the state team for further investigation. The motive for his actions is subject to investigation,” Mbambo added.
The suspect is expected to appear before the Cape Town Magistrate’s Court on Tuesday where he faces multiple charges, including arson and contravening the National Key Point Act.
