Cape Town - Deputy President Paul Mashatile faced a literal and figurative baptism of fire during his maiden response to Parliamentary questions yesterday.
What seemed like a real fire broke out at City Hall and delayed proceedings, which were scheduled for 2pm.
Parliament spokesperson Moloto Mothapo confirmed that the “fire” was caused by a spark and smoke coming from a light at one of the offices in the Good Hope Building, which houses the National Assembly chamber.
“It was established that a light capacitor caused the spark, whose smoke triggered the fire alarm within the building,” Mothapo said.
“The spark did not cause any fire and there was no immediate danger to the occupants of the building.”
Mashatile took to the dais more than 30 minutes later than scheduled.
In a figurative baptism of fire, Mashatile fielded questions about Eskom and Phala Phala. He said the government was against corruption at Eskom. While supporting the move to renewables, he said power stations should be maintained.
EFF MP Veronica Mente asked him about the Phala Phala political hot potato. She asked whether the unanswered questions around the break-in and theft at President Cyril Ramaphosa’s Phala Phala farm undermined the government’s efforts to combat crime and corruption.
In a follow-up question, EFF MP Hlengiwe Mkhaliphi suggested that ANC MPs had shielded Ramaphosa from accounting for the alleged crimes at his farm.
Mashatile said: “We are not shielding ... There is no shielding.”
He said there was a “zeal” from some quarters to find Ramaphosa guilty. Mashatile gave assurances that institutions were doing their work independently on the Phala Phala saga.
soyiso.maliti@inl.co.za