National speaker assembly former defence minister Nosiviwe Mapisa Nqakula believes there's more to the fire than meets the eye.

 Nosiviwe Mapisa-Nqakula says she will not take responsibility for the fire that gutted parliament on Sunday.

National speaker assembly former defence minister Nosiviwe Mapisa Nqakula believes there's more to the fire than meets the eye. The fire in parliament are no accident she told Vuyo Mvoko.

In a heated exchange with a News24 journalist, Mapisa-Nqakula said she had been in office for less than three months and therefore could not be blamed for the disastrous blaze.

“I am really sorry if you are trying to align that with the fact that I started a few months ago, which is two or three months ago. I am not responsible for any dropping of the ball in terms of security in parliament," she said.

Mapisa-Nqakula said based on a report she had received, all cameras in the precinct were working — contrary to a report circulating that the cameras were not working. She said this was confirmed by the acting secretary to parliament, Baby Tyawa, and a department of public works and infrastructure official responsible for cameras.

She was responding to a question on whether she would admit to having dropped the ball and would take responsibility for what happened. This was in light of poor security in parliament and in the context of previous reports that outlined potential risks and loopholes in terms of safety.