It is Patricia de Lille, Minister in charge of Infrastructure, who spoke about the extinguishing work on Sunday morning, according to News24.
Large fire crews are on site, where you have been able to see high flames and a large column of smoke rising into the sky.
– The fire is not under control. There have been reports of cracks in the walls of the building, a spokesman for the emergency services said earlier to the news agency AFP.
The oldest of the National Assembly’s buildings was completed in 1884. The lower house meets today in a newer building, and it is unclear whether it has burned in this one as well.
News24 quotes a spokesman for the emergency services who say the cracks in the walls may indicate that there is a danger of building collapse.
Another source says it appears the fire started in an office area and spread to a gym.
The Parliament buildings are located near the Anglican Cathedral, where Archbishop and Nobel laureate Desmond Tutu was buried on Saturday.
Last year, the University of Cape Town was hit by a major fire, and important collections of documents were lost when the flames spread to the university library.
(©NTB)
–
