National Assembly speaker Nosiviwe Mapisa-Nqakula and chairperson of the National Council of Provinces Amos Masondo said no one had been injured in a fire which broke out in parliament on Sunday.
Both the old assembly and National Assembly wings, which house the chambers of the National Assembly and the National Council of Provinces, have been affected by the blaze.
The fire has gutted the third floor of the old assembly building, including the office space and gymnasium, and the roof has collapsed.
Mapisa-Nqakula and Masondo said 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.
They said they appreciated efforts by the City of Cape Town fire and rescue services for their “prompt reaction and the work done thus far to contain the fire and limit the damage as much as possible”.
Minister of public works and infrastructure Patricia de Lille and deputy minister of state security Zizi Kodwa as well as police and parliamentary security staff are currently assessing the situation.
TimesLIVE