The South African Parliament building was a victim of arson on Sunday, January 2nd. The citizens of Cape Town were devastated to see their 130-year-old historic building burnt to the ground that morning. 

You may be wondering how this could have happened. Well, one man (who claims to be a victim of mistaken identity) was put in custody. 

That morning, the center of Cape Town was set aflame. The main Parliament Chamber was destroyed. Thirty-six hours after the fire was put out, it sparked back up due to strong winds. More than thirty firefighters were sent back immediately, authorities stated the following Monday. 

Thankfully, there were no injuries reported in the fire. However, there was extensive damage done to the building and those around it. Natasha Mazzone, a Member of Parliament, grieved, “Look at our roof, our beautiful roof, burnt, collapsed.” 

Patricia de Lille, Minister of Public Works and Infrastructure, claimed that someone had turned off a valve that had caused the sprinklers to stop working in case of fire. Lille also said CCTV cameras were not monitored when the fire had started. 

During the fire, 49-year-old Zandile Christmas Mafe was rescued and later put into handcuffs. He was questioned and remains the only person arrested with connection to the fire. He is facing a total of five charges: possession of explosives, two counts of arson, breaking and entering, theft, and violation of South Africa’s National Key Points Act. The Act restricts access to any government building that is of national importance. Yet, Mafe and his lawyer, Luvuyo Godla, denied all charges and claimed Mafe was a “scapegoat” and “victim of mistaken identity”. Mafe was supposed to appear in court the following Tuesday, but the trial was postponed seven days for further investigation while Mafe remained in custody.  

The Parliament has been moved to the new assembly building until the old one is restored. However, it will be many months until it can be used again. 

Mazzone mourned, “This is an incredibly sad day if you are a normal human being, to stand in front of this building and realize what we’ve lost.”