A fire has broken out at parliament in Cape Town.
Flames could be seen and a column of smoke rose into the sky early on Sunday morning, beginning at about 5.30am local time.
The fire has affected both the Old Assembly Wing and the National Assembly Wing of the buildings of Parliament, which house the chambers of the National Assembly and the National Council of Provinces.
The blaze began in third floor offices and spread to the National Assembly chamber, local fire service spokesman Jermaine Carelse said, adding that no one had been injured.
The roof area also caught light and 35 firefighters are on the scene.
Authorities feared that parts of buildings, some of them first built in the late 1800s, might collapse because of the heat.
Patricia de Lille, minister of public works, said the flames had been contained in the chamber of the National Council of Provinces – the upper house – but continued to burn in the National Assembly chamber.
“We can’t tell you exactly where the fire started,” she said, adding that it was a “very sad day for our democracy”.
Police have begun to investigate and President Cyril Ramaphosa has been briefed.
National Assembly Speaker, Nosiviwe Mapisa-Nqakula, and Chairperson of the National Council of Provinces, Amos Masondo, have expressed their appreciation to the City of Cape Town Fire and Rescue Services for their quick reaction and the work done thus far to contain the fire and limit the damage.
The Department of Public Works and Infrastructure, the Deputy Minister of State Security Zizi Kodwa, the South African Police Services and security personnel of Parliament were in the Parliamentary Precinct assessing the situation.
No person has been injured.
