<\/p>\n
Parliament of SA said the man, who is in his 30s, was apprehended by Parliamentary Protection Services in the early hours of Friday, September 11.<\/p>\n
<\/p>\n
Protection officers handed the man to the South African Police Service. The man remains in police custody. \u201cThe trespassing incident did not disrupt parliamentary operations,\u201d Moloto Mothapo, Parliament\u2019s Spokesperson, said.<\/p>\n
<\/p>\n
\u201cParliament takes any unauthorised access to its precinct seriously and continues to maintain appropriate security measures to safeguard the institution.\u201d<\/p>\n
<\/p>\n
The official statement did not explain how the man entered the precinct or which part of the parliamentary complex was accessed.<\/p>\n
<\/p>\n
Separate reports said the man allegedly jumped over a perimeter fence on Thursday night and slept inside the precinct before being discovered the following morning.<\/p>\n
<\/p>\n
Police reportedly opened a trespassing case. However, Parliament had not officially confirmed details about the point of entry or the length of time the man remained inside.<\/p>\n
<\/p>\n
The incident has renewed attention on security at the precinct, which is undergoing reconstruction following the devastating January 2022 fire.<\/p>\n
<\/p>\n
The blaze caused extensive damage to the historic Old Assembly and National Assembly buildings.<\/p>\n
<\/p>\n
The accused in the 2022 fire was arrested after being found inside the parliamentary precinct. Subsequent investigations raised concerns about security systems, including surveillance cameras that were not operational at the time.<\/p>\n
<\/p>\n
Sections of the National Assembly and Old Assembly buildings remain under repair, with the reconstruction project expected to cost approximately $273 million.<\/p>\n
<\/p>\n
–SABC\/ChannelAfrica–<\/p>\n
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