“The chamber where the members sit has completely burned down”, lamented the spokesman for the Parliament, adding that “the fire is not yet extinguished”.
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The enclosure of the National Assembly where the South African deputies sit in Cape Town was completely destroyed in a violent fire which has raged since Sunday, January 2 in the morning, said the spokesman of the Parliament.
“The room where the members sit has completely burned down”, lamented Moloto Mothapo, adding that “the fire is not yet extinguished”. The fire broke out at around 5 am (local time) in the oldest wing of the building, completed in 1884. The fire then spread to the more recent parts which are in use today.
The historic building houses a valuable collection of books and the original copy of the first national anthem in Afrikaans, “Die Stem Suid-Afrika” (The Voice of South Africa) sung during apartheid.