Q: Why has parliament been so reckless about security?
A: Parliament has not been reckless about security. We are aware that allegations were made with regard to the deployment of security officers …
Q: How many parliamentary security officers were on duty?
A: I can’t give the exact number …
Q: A reduced number?
A: There has not been a full complement of staff at parliament since the outbreak of the pandemic.
Q: Anything to do with cost cutting?
A: That’s what Nehawu [the National Education, Health and Allied Workers’ Union] is saying, which we don’t want to deal with in the media. However, the precincts of parliament are guarded by the SAPS.
Q: What is the role of parliament’s security officers?
A: They work together with the SAPS. They are responsible for regular inspections, especially at night around the buildings of parliament.
Q: So where were they while parliament was being torched?
A: That is part of the report that will be submitted to the presiding officers as part of the internal investigation.
Q: Why has parliament not had a head of security since 2015?
A: It has not been for a lack of trying. There have been many interviews, many attempts to get the right person for the position. That process is continuing.
Q: We’re talking seven years …
A: Yes. You can imagine that the person who will head the security of parliament is a person that must have a specialised knowledge of security issues. We have not been able to find a suitable person, but we believe this hunt is close to finalisation. It is being prioritised.
Q: Is this why there have been so many security breaches?
A: What security breaches?
Q: The offices of the house chair of the National Assembly broken into; numerous reports of unidentified people wandering around in parliament; MPs’ offices broken into; copper wire stolen from the bathrooms; the office of the chief whip of the official opposition broken into …
A: The issue of security is being continuousIy addressed ...
Q: Would it have been better addressed if there’d been a head of security?
A: The fact that we know about these incidents is because the security services at parliament are able to pick up these things and recommend measures to beef up security. That’s why over the years parliament has continuously beefed up security to ensure that the institution remains safe for MPs.
Q: Why was a report in 2018 — that parliament’s safety systems were almost nonexistent — ignored?
A: It wasn’t. Since the report there has been continuous security assessment of parliament and continuous improvement.
Q: Were the recommendations of the forensic report following the fire at parliament last year implemented?
A: After that report was released a process of implementation started.
Q: If implementation had been quicker …?
A: There is no evidence that implementation was slow.
Q: So why weren’t the fire sprinklers working? Why weren’t the CCTV cameras monitored?
A: These are untested claims and preliminary information.
Q: We know from footage that the suspect was in parliament at 2am …
A: It was thanks to the presence of the SAPS and the cameras that this person was arrested.
Q: At 6am?
A: That is not conclusive at this stage.
Q: Have any heads rolled yet?
A: If the report points to negligence there will be consequence management for anyone who is responsible.
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