Video footage shows a plume of black smoke filling the sky, with huge flames coming out from the roof of the building. The cause of the fire has not yet been confirmed.

The blaze comes hours after Archbishop Desmond Tutu’s state funeral at St George’s Cathedral, near Parliament, which was held on Saturday.

“The roof has caught fire and the National Assembly building is also on fire,” a spokesman for the city’s emergency services has said.

“The fire is not under control and cracks in the walls of the building have been reported,” He added.