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FILE: Firefighters work at Parliament
Today marks exactly three years since a devastating fire destroyed parts of South Africa’s Parliament in Cape Town.
The blaze completely gutted the National Assembly and badly damaged adjacent buildings.
Rebuilding and recovery started in earnest last year.
The blaze at Parliament in January 2022 raged for three days. Over 300 firefighters worked 71 hours to bring the fire under control.
Related video, Lulama Matya gives an update on the fire at the SA Parliament:
Extensive damage was caused, with the National Assembly chamber and offices in the building completely gutted.
The Old Assembly Chamber, probably better known in recent history, as the place where Apartheid architect Hendrik Verwoerd was murdered in 1966, was also destroyed.
Two billion rand has been allocated for this rebuilding purpose. It is expected that construction will be completed towards the start of 2026.
A man, Zandile Mafe, has appeared in the Western Cape High Court on charges of arson and terrorism. The trial is ongoing.
