DA warns against 'scapegoating' amid arrest for parliamentary fire
Democratic Alliance (DA) leader John Steenhuisen says nobody must be made a scapegoat for the devastating fire which gutted the National Assembly.
He addressed the media on Tuesday on the party's plan of action to get to the bottom of the cause of the fire.
A 49-year-old suspect has since been arrested on charges of arson, being in possession of an explosive device, housebreaking, theft, and destruction of essential infrastructure.
Zandile Mafe appeared in the Cape Town Magistrate's Court on Tuesday.
Steenhuisen says while the party welcomes the arrest, scapegoating should not be allowed.
“We welcome that arrest, but we must also not allow scapegoating to take place. We need to get to the bottom of why these fire started, how it was allowed to spread and why it was able to do so in such a manner, what systems were working and which systems were not working?
"What we have seen over the last few days is a lot of blame-shifting between various role players and I think that every section of Parliament needs to step up and take responsibility,” said Steenhuisen.
He said the party will work to ensure that the legislature is back up and running again.
“If this is as some are suggesting, an assault on our democracy then the best reaction will be to ensure that democracy doesn’t stop doing its work.
"And so the focus for us over the next few weeks and months will be on how we get Parliament business back up and running as seamlessly as possible."
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