Parliament Fire: Insurance Loophole Could Cost See Taxpayers Covering R1b Cost of Rebuild

• The Parliament buildings that were damaged in the fire that took place at the beginning of the year might not be covered by insurance
• Concerns over inadequate fire control systems could result in insurance companies refusing to cover the costs
• This would mean that taxpayers would be left to foot the estimated R1 billion bill, sparking concerns over corruption

CAPE TOWN - According to reports, the Parliament fire might not be covered by insurance due to a loophole in the contract.

News24 reported that insurers might refuse to cover the costs of the rebuild due to insufficient fire control systems.

Taxpayers fork out R4 million a year to maintain the buildings which might end up being a lot of wasted money.

Cape Talk reported that Public Works' acting director-general Imtiaz Fazel confirmed that Parliament was not insured and the taxpayers would be covering the costs of the rebuild which could cost as much as R1 billion.

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This has ignited fears of corruption and maladministration if the rebuild goes ahead without insurance oversight.

Hawks claim Zandile Mafe confessed to starting the Parliament fire

The fire at Parliament has been dominating news headlines all week and more information has surfaced.

The alleged arsonist Zandile Christmas Mafe has allegedly confessed to starting the fire according to a high-level source in the Hawks according to IOL.

The source who wished to remain anonymous claimed that Mafe confessed and demonstrated how the fire was started. However, according to the source, Mafe did not reveal how he gained access to the Parliament buildings.

He was arrested on the same day as the fire. Mafe's lawyer, Luvuyo Godla insists that his client was coerced and his confession will not stand up to scrutiny.

"Thank you": SA reacts to Parliament fire report, thanks CT mayor

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Earlier, Briefly News reported that the City of Cape Town's Fire Department has released a report following the fire at the Houses of Parliament in Cape Town. Geordin Hill-Lewis, the Mayor of Cape Town, said that the report strived to be as transparent and objective as possible.

The report, which has been submitted to the Speaker of Parliament for comment, states that it is not extensive but rather consists of observations by those firefighters who help to extinguish the blaze.

The City is limited in the extent to which it can impose fire safety regulations on Parliament as it is a national key point and therefore does not fall under their direct jurisdiction.

Source: Briefly News