Parliament officials grilled over lack of fire preparedness

Following the blaze that destroyed the National Assembly, leaders of Parliament have been called on to explain the institution’s apparent failure to implement health and safety recommendations from as far back as 2018.

Parliament has confirmed that external auditing company OHSA Health and Safety Consultants submitted a safety, health and environment (SHE) report in May 2018 that was carried out to ensure the legislative body complied with the Occupational Health and Safety (OHS) Act.

The damning report said the company was unable to audit Parliament’s policy or procedure relating to emergency preparedness and response, as well as accidents, incidents and investigating noncompliance, as such policies were essentially nonexistent.  

The report said that no approved safety policy or safety management system for Parliament had been identified.

One of the key recommendations then was that a safe working process should be developed and implemented at Parliament. A timeline commencing in March 2019 and concluding in May 2019 was set down for a host of recommendations to be implemented.

Following the devastating fire on Sunday, 2 January, members of Parliament demanded answers during a virtual meeting hosted by the joint standing committee on financial management of Parliament on Tuesday, 4 January.

Infuriated MPs also demanded that appropriate action be taken against officials who seem to have been derelict in their duty to create a safe environment within Parliament.

The serious breaches outlined in the SHE report were also a bone of contention on Tuesday in a separate meeting between Parliament and the union Nehawu. The purpose of the meeting was to discuss the way forward to ensure that Parliament offers a safe environment for employees and MPs.

The meeting was attended by the presiding Officers of Parliament represented by the Speaker of the National Assembly, Nosiviwe Mapisa-Nqakula and a delegation from Nehawu, led by its president, Mike Shingange.

In a joint statement, the parties said the meeting was held in the wake of unfortunate public tension since the outbreak of the fire relating to matters of security and occupational health and safety.

However, from what emerged from the joint meeting, it appears that Parliament still has a long way to go in addressing the shortcomings outlined in the SHE audit report.

Nehawu’s national spokesperson, Lwazi Nkolonzi, told Daily Maverick that the meeting highlighted issues raised in the audit report that Parliament must implement.

“In the spirit of this meeting, it was agreed we will work together to address these issues. We have agreed to identify these areas and work together to assist and fast-track the process.

“It is mainly on these issues outlined in the SHE audit report that Parliament should adhere to and make sure the environment is safe for employees and members of Parliament.”

Parliament spokesperson Moloto Mothapo reiterated the concerns expressed by Nehawu, including on the audit report, which is understood to have been submitted to Parliament’s accounting officer and will be brought to the attention of its presiding officers. 

“Any further information that Nehawu is in possession of regarding occupational safety and health, as well as parliamentary security, will form part of the ongoing internal inquiry and must also be handed over to the investigation process by various authorities, including the team of experts currently in Parliament,” said Mothapo.

“The Presiding Officers of Parliament will ensure that no stone is left unturned in both external and internal investigations on the circumstances pertaining to the fire outbreak. As matters stand, there is no conclusive evidence or outcome indicating the cause of the fire, as the investigations are ongoing.”

On 11 July 2021, Nehawu asked Parliament what actions had been taken to remedy its failure to comply with the provisions of the OHS Act.

Back then Nehawu’s branch secretary, Temba Gubula, put it to Baby Tyawa, the acting Secretary to Parliament, that the SHE audit report found that of the 13 areas investigated, 11 were classified as high-risk exposure and two medium-risk.

“This means that members of Parliament worked in an unsafe environment,” Gubula pointed out.

Tyawa responded on 16 July 2021, indicating the SHE audit was conducted to ensure that Parliament as an institution complied with the OHS Act.

At that time, Tyawa’s response was, “I am satisfied that remedial measures are being put in place to ensure that the issues highlighted in the report are being addressed.”

Parliament in Cape Town burns on 3 January 2022. (Photo: Gallo Images / ER Lombard)