Parliament fire | 'I do not want to believe that we have reached that point where a person would walk into Parliament and burn down our Constitution.' - Speaker Nosiviwe Mapisa-Nqakula
The blaze, which is believed to have started in the Old Assembly building after 5am, has gutted the chambers leaving a trail of devastation.Briefing the media on Sunday morning, National Assembly speaker Nosiviwe Mapisa-Nqakula called on South Africans to refrain from speculating about the cause of the blaze.Claims about the fire being an intentional attack on Parliament have been dismissed.However, the Speaker did say that if it were a case of arson, “it is not an attack on Parliament.
Mapisa-Nqakula said: “I am aware that this report was presented to the presiding officers. This report was presented to the joint standing committee on oversight of parliament. The recommendations of the report are being implemented.” The City of Cape Town's mayoral committee member for safety and security, JP Smith. Photo: Darren Stewart
President Cyril Ramaphosa will likely deliver his 2022 State of the Nation address from somewhere other than Parliament. Photo: GCIS“It is sad that this happened because this is a national key point. This should not prevent us from continuing with the State of the Nation Address,” she said, adding:
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IN PICTURES: Inside the fire at parliamentNational Assembly speaker Nosiviwe Mapisa-Nqakula and chairperson of the National Council of Provinces Amos Masondo said no one had been injured in a fire which broke out in parliament on Sunday.
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