Fire-gutted South African parliament seen restarting fully by 2025

CAPE TOWN (Reuters) – Reconstruction of South Africa’s fire-gutted parliament building in Cape Town should be finished by 2025, more than three years after a blaze destroyed large parts of the precinct, officials said on Tuesday.

One male suspect, who remains in prison awaiting trial, was arrested shortly after the fire started on Jan. 2 last year. It burnt for three days before being completely extinguished, and destroyed the lower house National Assembly chamber.

The Development Bank of Southern Africa will lead the reconstruction project at an estimated cost of 2 billion rand ($110 million), Secretary to Parliament Xolile George told reporters on Tuesday.

“The restoration project provides a unique opportunity to ensure that spaces are designed in a manner that best suits the specific needs of a democratic parliament and to modernise the institution’s digital infrastructure,” George said.

A short-term goal would be to build around 155 new offices to help house some 1,000 displaced staff members, he added.

Lawmakers currently make use of hybrid meetings, a blend of physical and virtual connections, to try and hold the executive to account.

Large legislative set piece events, such as President Cyril Ramaphosa’s state of the nation address or Wednesday’s budget speech by the finance minister, are temporarily being held in Cape Town’s city hall.

($1 = 18.1907 rand)

(Reporting by Wendell Roelf; Editing by Nellie Peyton and Sharon Singleton)