A fire has broken out at the South African cathedral where Archbishop Desmond Tutu is buried. 

The blaze was discovered in the basement of St George’s Cathedral – in Cape Town – at around 2am local time. 

“The fire was an act of arson,” claimed father Michael Weeder, dean at the cathedral, when writing to the people of the parish.

“It appears that a lit piece of cotton/gauze was thrown through the small, barred window near the steps leading up to the cathedral’s (main) entrance,” he said.

“Someone was spotted running away from the cathedral.”

The claims have not been verified by police and can not be confirmed. 

Tutu – widely considered to be the spiritual father of South Africa – was buried in early-January 2022, following his death on Boxing Day. 

On the day of his burial, a fire broke out in the nearby parliament building, located just metres away. 

A man remains in custody following the fire in the Government property. 

The 90-year-old former Archbishop had dedicated much of his life to faith, and helping others; he won the Nobel Peace Prize in 1984, after being nominated for three years in a row, and was instrumental in anti-apartheid and human rights activism.