Stricter security measures in parliament following the suicide of parliamentary manager Lennox Garane have not stopped a 17-year-old boy from sleeping in the buildings after having too much to drink, TimesLive has reported.
The Grade 10 pupil from Khayelitsha, alleged by his mother to have been one of several teenagers who broke into parliament’s Marks building, reportedly broke in during the night of September 30 but was only discovered the following morning after he approached security requesting for help exiting the building.
According to the mother, who along with her son cannot be named, the boy was one of several who followed a “fun walk” and drinking session by breaking into parliament.
READ MORE: Security to be beefed up at parliament from October
But, when the boy passed out, his friends are believed to have left him there before exiting the building undetected.
A VIP police protection unit, who patrol the building for 24 hours a day, did not detect their break-in despite them having allegedly consumed copious amounts of alcohol and only being teenagers.
The boy was reportedly released on a warning after appearing in the Khayelitsha Children’s Court.
It was reported in September that police had committed to beefing up security in and around the parliamentary precinct from October 1 after a manager at the legislature was able to get his firearm past security shortly before committing suicide.
Briefing parliament’s portfolio committee on police, senior SA Police Service officials acknowledged gaps in security measures, which, if the antics of the drunken teens is anything to go by, have not yet been fully addressed.
