From an arrest to concerns about Sona — what you need to know about the parliament fire

A fire that gutted parts of the parliament precinct on Sunday morning sent shock waves across SA.

The fire spread to the National Assembly chamber, sparking concerns about whether the state of the nation address (Sona), set to be presented by President Cyril Ramaphosa on February 10, will continue as planned. 

National Assembly Speaker Nosiviwe Mapisa-Nqakula said plans for the 2022 Sona were under way when the fire broke out. 

Ramaphosa and Mapisa-Nqakula said the cause of the fire was under investigation. 

From police investigations to whether the Sona would have to move to a different venue, here's what you need to know about the incident: 

Arrest

The Hawks were assigned to investigate the fire and on Sunday afternoon arrested a 49-year-old suspect.

The crime-fighting unit said the man was an ordinary citizen and not an employee of parliament.

He will appear in court on Tuesday to face charges of housebreaking, theft and arson, under The National Key Points Act. 

No security guards 

Western Cape secretary of the National Education, Health and Allied Workers’ Union (Nehawu) Baxolie Mali said the extent of the damage could have been minimised had security staff been on site on Sunday.

Mali said parliament implemented a cost-cutting measure that saw security personnel being instructed not to work at weekends because parliament did not have money.

He said police were mostly stationed outside parliament at weekends, which meant they could not have detected the fire in time.  

Fire detectors 

A draft report updated in July 2021 revealed there were no smoke detectors in parliament.

The report followed a March 2020 incident when a fire broke out in the committee venue in the old assembly wing. This incident was attributed to an electrical fault.

According to TimesLIVE, the report also found that all 70 smoke detectors in the Old Assembly were of the “conventional ionisation” type, which were 16 years old and no longer manufactured because of their radioactive content. 

Ramaphosa’s response

The president said he was saddened by the incident but maintained that the work of parliament would not be disrupted by the fire. 

“I recently requested the Speaker to convene a joint sitting of parliament for the state of the nation address on February 10 2022. 

“In the wake of this devastating occurrence, we will continue to consult on what we can do to ensure continuity in the functioning of parliament as the critical institution in our democratic infrastructure,” he said. 

Sona

Mapisa-Nqakula and the chairperson of the National Council of Provinces, Amos Masondo, said the Sona and budget speech would continue as planned in parliament and all efforts will be made to limit work disruptions.

They said extensive damage occurred in the new assembly wing, which includes the National Assembly chamber. They praised the fire department in Cape Town for its swift response to the incident. 

“Had it not been for their prompt response, the damage could have been much worse. They responded within six minutes after they were called and alerted”, they said. 

Earlier, Cape Town mayor Geordin Hill-Lewis had offered alternative venues for the Sona and budget speech.

“A national tragedy is a time for all of us to do our part to help. Cape Town will do what we can. I’ve been in touch with the Speaker to offer the use of our Council Chamber so parliament can continue to meet, and the city hall for the Sona,” he said.