Read the video transcript here
A high column of smoke in the center of Cape Town: on Sunday morning, the fire in the South African parliament could still be seen from a great distance.
During the night around 4:30 a.m. Central European Time, flames had emerged from the roof of the building.
The fire probably broke out in the office wing.
Firefighters found cracks in the walls, which could indicate a collapse of the building.
Patricia de Lille, Minister for Public Works and Infrastructure: “This is a very sad day for our democracy. Parliament is the home of our democracy and a strategically central place. But we are currently in control of the situation. And we're continuing to investigate the causes of the fire. "
More than 30 firefighters have now contained the fire in the old wing of the building; in the new wing they are continuing to fight the flames.
The fire had penetrated into the chambers of the National Assembly.
There were no injuries.
The reasons for the fire are still unclear.