Democratic Alliance (DA) leader John Steenhuisen said on Tuesday that it is important that business is not derailed by the fire that destroyed parts of the National Assembly, adding that as the opposition party, the DA must ensure that the business of the State and Parliament continues uninterrupted.

On Sunday, the fire gutted the third floor of the Old Assembly building, including office spaces and the gymnasium. The roof of the Old Assembly building collapsed. Parts of the ceiling at the New Assembly building, to which the fire spread, also collapsed.

Further damage has been caused, with more floors of the building, which houses offices of Members of Parliament and support staff, being completely gutted. The roof of the building in which the flare-up occurred is now completely destroyed.

“We need to get to the bottom of why the Parliament fire was started, how it spread, what systems were working and what systems were not working," Steenhuisen said.

He said what has been seen over the last few days is a lot of blame-shifting between the various role-players, adding that Parliament and its security services need to take responsibility.

Zandile Christmas Mafe was arrested by members of the Protection and Security Services and faces several charges, including charges under the Explosives Act, theft, arson and housebreaking.

Steenhuisen explained that the focus for the DA over the next few weeks and months has got to be on how they will get Parliament’s business back up and running as seamlessly as possible.

“Because that's how you deal with people who try to disrupt democracy. That's how you deal with adversity, you get straight up again and you get back to work,” he said.

He thanked firefighters and first responders who were on the scene to tackle the fire.

“We also thank the City of Cape Town for the very kind offer of alternative facilities, because I want to make this very clear that if this is as some are suggesting an assault on our democracy, well then the very best reaction will be to ensure that democracy does not stop doing its work,” he said.

He said as the leader of the opposition the party’s focus is to ensure that the State of the Nation Address takes place on time and at the designated place.