This archive report was first published on 2 January 2022.
On January 2, 2022, a devastating fire ripped through the South African parliament in Cape Town, leaving a trail of destruction in its wake.
A large plume of black smoke filled the sky as the fire engulfed the roof of the building, with dozens of firefighters racing against time to bring the blaze under control.
According to Minister of Public Works and Infrastructure Patricia de Lille, the fire was currently raging in the National Assembly chambers.
The parliament was not in session at the time of the incident, as it was a holiday period.
The House of Parliament in Cape Town is a historic building, comprising three sections: the oldest dating back to 1884, the new section built in the 1920s, and the National Assembly house built in the 1980s.
Just last year, a fire ravaged part of the University of Cape Town's Library, which houses a unique collection of African archives.
Fire razing the parliament building in South Africa
