The internal investigation of the fire which gutted parts of Parliament last year, has found that it could have been prevented.
To date, the actual cause of the fire remains unknown however Zandile Mafe (49), the man who was arrested in the Parliament precinct shortly after the fire, is charged with two counts of arson, theft, housebreaking with the intent to steal and contravention of the explosives act and destruction of essential infrastructure.
His case is currently being heard in the Western Cape High Court.
Parliament secretary Xolile George told the media on Wednesday that an extensive investigation into what could have been the cause of the fire highlighted a number of factors.
They include a security breach, fire prevention and security breach, systems and maintenance failure and fire safety deficiencies.
He said all of these findings can be attributed to the incident.
George also said that the fire could have been prevented if security personnel were on the premises when it broke out.
"What this means is that security should have been on the premises to be vigilant of any intruders but because there weren't any the intruder moved around freely."
Since the fire broke out, Baby Tyawa, the former Parliament Deputy Secretary and Head of Support Services was suspended prior to the investigation.
George said five more officials who were also involved in ensuring security at Parliament will be held liable, pending an internal investigation.
The findings of the investigation have highlighted critical issues related to security, maintenance and fire safety that demand immediate attention and remediation.
Furthermore, examinations into Parliament's recruitment and appointment processes, as well as its procurement practices, have exposed significant trends that underscore the need for reforms and stricter adherence to policies and regulations.
