Kaya News Reporter
Firefighters struggled to contain the Parliament fire on Monday evening due to heavy winds.
While the blaze has eventually been contained, the fifth floor of the new wing, above the National Assembly has been completely destroyed.
A 49-year old man has since been arrested in connection to the fire which started on Sunday morning.
According to reports, security guards were not on duty when the fire broke out.
Provincial Secretary of the National Education, Health and Allied Workers’ Union (NEHAWU), Baxolise Mali said the guards no longer work weekends because Parliament does not have money to pay their salaries.
Mali claims the security of Parliament was left in the hands of the police in the absence of internal security.
On Monday, the roof of the National Assembly caught fire again, due to winds.
Drones were being used to assess the damage and an investigation is underway.
Several safety protocols were overlooked and has been highlighted since the arson attack.
The fire alarms at Parliament did not go off when the fire started, which has raised occupational and safety standards.
This is not the first time a fire has broken out at Parliament, in March last year a fire broke out at the Old National Assembly building.
Activation of the sprinkler system at the time meant damage was minimal and no one was hurt.
In other news: Bomb scare at Bloemfontein airport



