South African President promises deep investigation into parliament fire
January 2, 2022, 4:17 pm

South African President promises deep investigation into parliament fire

Cyril Ramaphosa-South Africa President/Facebook page

The Xinhua reported that South African President Cyril Ramaphosa on Sunday said he "believes" somebody is being held and questioned for the fire at the parliament in the early morning in the legislative capital Cape Town and promised a deep investigation into it.

Ramaphosa addressed media outside the parliament: "We need to go a lot deeper, a lot deeper into how this type of event can take place and what measures we will need to take going forward."

The president said the fire first started at the hall of the old assembly building, then moved to the lower house National Assembly.

He also commended key officials for their great capability, speed and resource mobilization in response to the fire, and said Speaker of the National Assembly Nosiviwe Mapisa-Nqakula is rushing to the scene from the neighboring province the Eastern Cape by car as she couldn't get a flight.

The parliament said in a statement, the fire, which the city initially said was reported to the Fire and Rescue Services on 5:03 a.m. but later corrected the time to 6:12 a.m., has affected both the Old Assembly Wing and the National Assembly Wing of the buildings of the parliament, which house the National Assembly and the upper chamber of National Council of Provinces.

Houses of Parliament in the South African city of Cape Town on fire

The fire has been contained in the old wing and firefighters are currently trying to control the fire in the new wing, where the fire has affected the National Assembly chamber, it said, adding that no person has been injured.

It said, the cause of the fire has not been established and investigations are underway by the relevant authorities.

According to the parliament, the National Department of Public Works and Infrastructure led by Minister Patricia De Lille, the Deputy Minister of State Security Zizi Kodwa, the South African Police Services and security personnel of Parliament are in the parliamentary precinct to assess the situation.

South African President returns to work following a week of isolation

Jean-Pierre (JP) Smith, Cape Town's Mayoral Committee Member for Safety and Security, had said the city's Fire and Rescue Services first received a call of a building alight in Parliament Street, which is within the precinct of the parliament, and arrived at the scene minutes later.

The fire gutted the 3rd floor of the old wing, including the office space and the gym, and its roof collapsed and has gone, Smith said in an fire update, adding that the old wing's chamber does not appear to be damaged although it maybe damaged by water.

South Africa says Omicron wave may have passed the peak

He said, the structural ceiling of the the National Assembly Wing collapsed.

According to him, about 70 fire staff members are on the scene.

Initial reports indicated the fire started in an office space.

Source: xinhua

Mass demonstrations demanding civilian rule start in Sudan Sudan's Prime Minister resigns after mass protests

BENEFIT, the Kingdom’s innovator and leading company in Fintech and electronic financial transactions service, has sponsored the BuildHer CityHack 2025 Hackathon, a two-day event spearheaded by the College of Engineering and Technology at the Royal University for Women (RUW).
Aimed at secondary school students, the event brought together a distinguished group of academic professionals and technology experts to mentor and inspire young participants.
More than 100 high school students from across the Kingdom of Bahrain took part in the hackathon, which featured an intensive programme of training workshops and hands-on sessions. These activities were tailored to enhance participants’ critical thinking, collaborative problem-solving, and team-building capabilities, while also encouraging the development of practical and sustainable solutions to contemporary challenges using modern technological tools.
BENEFIT’s Chief Executive Mr. Abdulwahed AlJanahi, commented: “Our support for this educational hackathon reflects our long-term strategic vision to nurture the talents of emerging national youth and empower the next generation of accomplished female leaders in technology. By fostering creativity and innovation, we aim to contribute meaningfully to Bahrain’s comprehensive development goals and align with the aspirations outlined in the Kingdom’s Vision 2030—an ambition in which BENEFIT plays a central role.”
Professor Riyadh Yousif Hamzah, President of the Royal University for Women, commented: “This initiative reflects our commitment to advancing women in STEM fields. We're cultivating a generation of creative, solution-driven female leaders who will drive national development. Our partnership with BENEFIT exemplifies the powerful synergy between academia and private sector in supporting educational innovation.”
Hanan Abdulla Hasan, Senior Manager, PR & Communication at BENEFIT, said: “We are honoured to collaborate with RUW in supporting this remarkable technology-focused event. It highlights our commitment to social responsibility, and our ongoing efforts to enhance the digital and innovation capabilities of young Bahraini women and foster their ability to harness technological tools in the service of a smarter, more sustainable future.”
For his part, Dr. Humam ElAgha, Acting Dean of the College of Engineering and Technology at the University, said: “BuildHer CityHack 2025 embodies our hands-on approach to education. By tackling real-world problems through creative thinking and sustainable solutions, we're preparing women to thrive in the knowledge economy – a cornerstone of the University's vision.”