Fire destroys South African National Assembly, suspect arrested

The material toll is heavy: the South African National Assembly is completely destroyed. Dozens of firefighters fought all day but after dark on Sunday, the violent blaze which devastated the center of legislative power in Cape Town and for which a suspect was arrested, was still not under control. More than 70 firefighters are still on the war footing.

Throughout the day thick clouds of black smoke shrouded the historic building with the imposing white and red-brick Victorian facade, known to all South Africans. Huge flames burst from the rooftops but no casualties were reported.

“Parliament will continue its work”

The presidents of the two chambers of Parliament and members of the government are due to meet on Monday to see the scale of the disaster. In the National Assembly, “the ceiling has collapsed. The fire was so intense in this part of the building that the firefighters had to evacuate to avoid any danger, ”said Parliament spokesman Moloto Mothapo. The deputies returning from vacation in this austral summer will not be able to debate in their usual leather armchairs, no doubt gone up in smoke, “before a long time”.

But “Parliament will continue its work”, hammered President Cyril Ramaphosa who visited the site in the afternoon. He himself was to deliver a speech to the nation there in February.

The library, national treasure, intact

The fire started around 5 a.m. (4 a.m. in France) in the oldest wing of the building, completed in 1884, which previously housed parliamentarians in its rooms with walls covered with precious wood. The most recent parts were built in 1920 and 1980. In this historic part, the roof went up in smoke, “nothing remains”, according to the head of the city’s emergency services, Jean-Pierre Smith. And in these old rooms adorned with rugs and curtains, the fire continued to spread at the end of the day.

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This is where the Parliament kept its treasures, some 4,000 works of art and heritage, some dating back to the 17th century. Among them, the Keiskamma tapestry, named after a river in the south-east of the country. At 120 meters long, the precious piece traces the history of South Africa from the first indigenous peoples, the San, to the democratic elections of 1994. According to the mayor of Cape Town, Geordin Hill-Lewis, the library which contains a collection single book was not affected.

Two fireplaces and a cut off water supply

A man in his 50s was arrested while in Parliament at the time of the fire, police said. He is due to be brought to justice on Tuesday, investigators exploring the criminal trail. According to the first elements, the fire broke out in two homes. And a shutdown of the water supply prevented the automatic extinguishing system from functioning properly. A report must be submitted to the President within 24 hours.

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