After 24 hours of struggle, the firefighters managed to bring under control, on the night from Sunday to Monday, the fire which completely devastated the South African National Assembly, for which a man was arrested, the emergency services announced. this Monday morning.
“The fire was brought under control overnight, the staff on site were gradually reduced,” said the spokesman for the city’s firefighters, Jermaine Carelse, on Monday morning.
About twenty rescuers were still there, the fire continuing in the oldest parts of the building which conceal treasures: some 4,000 works of art and heritage, some of which date back to the 17th century. The Library of Parliament, which has a unique collection of books, appears to have been spared. The extent of the damage has not yet been established, but the grounds of the National Assembly have been completely destroyed. “Most of the damage is probably in this building which will not be able to be used for months”, according to Jermain Carelse.
“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.
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 of books 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.