Cape Town – Plans to erect a temporary National Assembly (NA) chamber for South Africa’s Parliament are underway, with a dome acquired in 2013 for Nelson Mandela’s funeral being repurposed.
The structure, located at the Niewmeester Parking Site within the Parliamentary Precinct, will take 24 days to construct and serve as the NA chamber for two years until Parliament is rebuilt following the January 2022 arson attack.
The project, costing the Department of Public Works and Infrastructure (DPWI) R12 million, aims to save the state money.
“The Dome will be set up at the Niewmeester Parking Site within the Parliamentary Precinct. The project of setting up the Dome is expected to take 24 days from today, which will be on time for the 2025 opening of Parliament and State of the Nation address,” The Citizen quoted Public works spokesperson Lennox Mabaso as saying.
#GovZAUpdates | The construction of Parliament’s interim home has begun in earnest with the Department of Public Works and Infrastructure (DPWI) having conducted the official site handover for the dome installation to the contractor, in Cape Town.https://t.co/IPou13kZtc
— @SAgovnews (@SAgovnews) December 18, 2024
The dome acquired for Nelson Mandela’s 2013 funeral will be repurposed as a temporary National Assembly chamber.
While it is expected to be ready by February, the 2025 State of the Nation Address (SONA) will still be held at Cape Town City Hall, EWN reported.
Eight containers of dome components have been in Cape Town since November, awaiting installation at a site near Parliament, where a previous temporary marquee had to be abandoned due to safety concerns caused by strong winds, Mabaso said.
The dome project, will be overseen by a chief architect specialising in parliamentary structures.
Parliament will fund the interior furnishings.
The temporary structure will serve until the new Parliament’s construction, starting in January, is completed.
Parliament has been without a chamber for three years due to the fire.
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Compiled by Betha Madhomu
