If police were not literally sleeping on the job, and parliament’s own security staff not placed on compulsory public holiday leave, the fire that gutted the national legislature could have been prevented.
This is according to the institution’s administrative boss Xolile George, who announced results of an investigation into the two-day fire that broke out on January 2 2022, and razed some of the institution’s key buildings to the ground.
He said the investigation report, which he did not share with journalists, outlined matters of how the minimum physical security standards of parliament had not been adhered to and this enabled parliament to be trespassed without detection.
“The report emphasised that the fire could have been prevented, had reasonable care been taken to ensure that those drivers of vulnerability do not materialise,” said George.
“One such measure, attributed to the human error, was the decision not to deploy parliamentary protection services officers at night and on public holidays and weekends during the 2021/22 compulsory leave period, which left parliament vulnerable.”
“Do we think that parliament would still be standing had there been parliament staff not on forced leave, the answer is yes. Because the findings point to those areas. It did contribute significantly to the vulnerability of parliament,” he said.
The investigation identified a range of systems and maintenance failures that significantly contributed to the security breach and the failure to prevent and contain the fire.
These failures included issues such as the height of the perimeter fence, the absence of perimeter monitoring in terms of physical security presence, which did not exist at the time, a malfunctioning emergency exit door and deficiencies in fire panels, and an unreliable REMRAD (fire management) system.
Lapses in perimeter monitoring were identified, including an incident where a SAPS officer, tasked with monitoring a motion-detection camera, had been asleep when the intruder breached the fence.
— Parliament secretary, Xolile George
George said the absence of on-site parliamentary protection services officersresulted in a lack of CCTV monitoring within the precinct.
The report underscored pressing concerns that demand prompt attention and rectification, including non-compliance with established building regulations, inadequacies in maintenance practices, and shortcomings in the safety, health, and environment unit.
The absence of a designated head of security management in parliament, the lack of a structured security committee required for a national key point institution that regularly monitor and oversee adherence to all security policies of parliament, and delays in the security enhancement project were also highlighted as critical issues which are being addressed.
George described as significant the revelation around the heightened vulnerability posed by parliament’s perimeter fence, a concern he said was flagged as far back as 2004 by the police but remained unattended.
“Lapses in perimeter monitoring were identified, including an incident where a SAPS officer, tasked with monitoring a motion-detection camera, had been asleep when the intruder breached the fence.
“The investigation raised questions regarding SAPS patrols during that period and identified additional complications such as a malfunctioning CCTV video wall and a problematic emergency exit door.”
These are issues that have been found to have directly contributed to the security breach of parliament.
“Those issues allowed the suspect to gain unauthorised access and not only that but to enjoy unrestricted movement within parliament without being detected for a number of hours beyond a day.”
On fire safety deficiencies, the investigation revealed pervasive non-compliance with fire regulations and requirements across multiple facets, including smoke detectors, fire alarm panels, emergency notification systems, sprinkler systems and evacuation route planning.
To address these issues, a comprehensive slate of recommended remedial actions has been outlined and the measures encompass urgent implementation of recommendations from the BDO report, security risk assessments conducted by the police, and the swift appointment of a dedicated head of security management. A new security head, Samson Shitlabane, was appointed last month.
Parliament has to implement an exhaustive evaluation of fire compliance for all of its buildings, guided by a qualified fire engineer, and a coherent fire plan has to be designed and implemented.
George said the investigation recommended parliament consider consequence management procedures against five of its officials for various failures, including the failure to implement security policies, ensure compliance with occupational health and safety standards, and establish a security committee as required.
He wouldn’t disclose any further information about the implicated staff because internal processes have to still unfold.
Reacting to the report, DA chief whip Siviwe Gwarube said George’s report demonstrated that criminal negligence led to the destruction of parliament.
“While we await the release of the full, unabridged report, the secretary’s revelations today are deeply troubling and show crucial deficiencies that should have prevented the fire,” she said.
This fire was the epitome of the ANC’s leadership which is underscored by neglect and incompetence, she said.
“The details revealed today affirm that the fire was caused by institutional failures. Ultimately, the custodian of the parliamentary precinct is the speaker of the National Assembly and the chairperson of the National Council of Provinces. The buck stops with Nosiviwe Mapisa-Nqakula and Amos Masondo.”
She said she will be writing to the deputy speaker, Lechesa Tsenoli, and deputy chairperson of the NCOP, Sylvia Lucas, urging them to table the report before the joint standing committee on financial management of parliament, to which parliament administration accounts for public discussion and interrogation.
“We need to understand who is to be held accountable and how the executive authority will take responsibility for the fire that will be remembered for decades to come.”
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