One year since blaze destroyed parts of Parliament

2 January, Monday marks one year since the fire in the parliamentary precinct broke out and burned some parts of the National Assembly.

The fire broke out in the early  hours of Sunday last year and continued burning for at least three days.

Fire crews responded to a call from police guarding the national key point within six minutes.

More than 300 men and women were deployed and worked tirelessly over 70 hours to contain the blaze.

Parliament spokesperson Moloto Mothapo, highlighted that the incident imposed a collective national trauma that will remembered in the minds of South Africans for years to come. 

"For almost three days the fire tore through the five floors of the Assembly building and the adjacent Old Assembly wing, collapsing the roof and destroying hundreds of offices which housed Members of Parliament and staff and their contents.”

“The accident imposed a collective national trauma that will be etched in the minds of South Africans for many years," he said.

Mothapo then emphasized the country was tested and added that they will share more information regarding the rebuilding of the programme later this week.

"We remain indebted to the extraordinary and selfless efforts of the members of the Fire and Rescue Service Department for their prompt response to the fire, which arrested the fire from storming through other parts of the building and causing even greater damage.

“With this fire crisis, our collective resilience, not only as this crucial arm of the state but as a nation, was highly tested," Mothapo said.

 

By Lulama Klassen