Lapses in security major cause of fire in parliament

A police officer sleeping on the job while an intruder breached a parliamentary precinct fence. Protection services who are not deployed during public holidays and weekends and people hired without proper qualifications.

These are some of the lapses in security and administration highlighted in a report compiled after investigations into a security breach and subsequent fire at the parliament precinct on January 2 2022.

The investigation sought to identify the security breach that allowed an intruder unauthorised access to and unrestricted movement within the parliament precinct for an extended period.

“The fire incident which saw parliament go up in smoke could have been prevented, or its extent limited, if parliamentary protection services officers were deployed at night, on public holidays and weekends,” the report said.

The investigation also identified a range of systems and maintenance failures which significantly contributed to both the security breach and the failure to prevent and contain the fire.

“These failures encompassed issues such as the height of the perimeter fence, the absence of perimeter monitoring, a malfunctioning emergency exit door, deficiencies in fire panels, and an unreliable REMRAD system [a two-way radio system for security and emergencies]. 

“The absence of on-site parliamentary protection services officers further resulted in a lack of CCTV monitoring within the precinct,” read the report.

It highlighted non-compliance with established building regulations, inadequacies in maintenance practices, and shortcomings in the safety, health and environment unit/audit as some of the concerns that need to be promptly rectified.

“The absence of a designated head of security management, the lack of a structured security committee, and delays in the security enhancement project were also highlighted as critical issues currently being addressed. 

“A significant revelation was the heightened vulnerability posed by the parliament’s perimeter fence; a concern flagged as far back as 2004 by the South African Police Services,” said the report.

“Lapses in perimeter monitoring were identified, including an incident where a SAPS officer tasked with monitoring a motion-detection camera had been asleep when an intruder breached the fence.

“The investigation raised questions regarding SAPS patrols during that period and identified additional complications such as a malfunctioning CCTV video wall and a problematic emergency exit door.”

The investigation also revealed pervasive non-compliance with fire regulations and requirements across multiple facets, including smoke detectors, fire alarm panels, emergency notification systems, sprinkler systems and evacuation route planning.

The report recommended that five parliament officials should be held liable for various failures, including the failure to implement security policies, ensure compliance with occupational health and safety standards, and establish a security committee as required.  

It also recommended that a comprehensive approach is proposed to rectify fire deficiencies in the house.

“Security enhancements are also deemed indispensable and are being actively addressed, underscoring their paramount importance. To bolster security measures, a significant step has been taken with the establishment of a new senior position, chief of security, who reports directly to the secretary to parliament.

“This appointment acknowledges the critical role that a chief of security plays in safeguarding the integrity, safety, and smooth functioning of parliament, ensuring that all security-related concerns are promptly and effectively addressed.”

It also probed into various aspects of parliament’s operations. 

"The investigation delved into three critical areas: recruitment and appointment processes, strategic positions, and procurement processes, each of which uncovered noteworthy findings.

“It was alleged by whistleblowers that that some of the employees were hired despite not meeting minimum requirements, and that existing employees were given preference. It was found that some employees appointed to parliamentary management positions did not possess the minimum qualifications as advertised for the posts, and, in some cases, they were not the top scoring candidates. 

“A total of 35 appointments were analysed, and while 22 of them showed no irregularities, 11 appointments revealed significant concerns," said the report.

“These concerns highlighted a lack of proper record-keeping for essential documents and a recurring pattern of non-compliance with minimum job requirements among candidates. Additionally, the use of psychometric assessment results to validate compliance with requirements showed inconsistency."

The investigation also identified the appointment of acting officials without the necessary qualifications.

sibanyonim@sowetan.co.za