Cape Town — Outgoing Chief Justice, Raymond Zondo, said South Africa is ready to swear in new Members of Parliament as the country prepares for a new era of coalition.
Zondo received the list of political party representatives from the Independent Electoral Commission (IEC) on Thursday. list consists of potential members of parliament (MPs) and members of provincial legislatures (MPLs). Zondo said the judiciary is well prepared to ensure the smooth installation of the seventh administration, The Citizen reported.
“In terms of the constitution, the Chief Justice must put rules in place which will apply when the first parliament sitting takes place. The speaker, deputy speaker and president will be elected at this occasion. Those rules will also apply to provincial legislatures,” he said.
[WATCH] IEC Chairperson Mosotho Moepya presents the final list of elected representatives for the National Assembly and Provincial Legislatures to Chief Justice Raymond Zondo.#Newzroom405 pic.twitter.com/JBYshn9Rju
— Newzroom Afrika (@Newzroom405) June 6, 2024
Zondo said the handing over of the judiciary to parliament is an important evet and showed the rule of law was fully functional in South Africa. He thanked the IEC for its swift handling of the announcement of the results and the announcement of MPs will be the next step in the process.
Zondo handed the lists over to Secretary to Parliament, Xolile George, and said Parliament would now make necessary arrangements to receive the new cohort of Parliamentarians.
George said processes would kick in to prepare for the voting in of the speaker and president. There would also be inductions for new MPs.
“Once the Chief Justice has determined the date of the fist sitting of the National Assembly and the National Council of Provinces (NCOP), we will activate the necessary arrangements. This entails ensuring the elected members are received from various parts of the country,” he said.
The sitting will take place at the Cape Town International Convention Centre (CTICC), with Zondo set to announce the date soon.
According to SowetanLive, Ramaphosa is set to be one of just 11 people aged over 70 to become MPs. IEC chair, Mosotho Moepya said there were 174 women (43.5%) and 226 men (56.5%) on the list. They are aged between 20 and 79.
Here’s the breakdown per age group: 20-29 (12); 30-39 (67); 40-49 (110); 50-59 (110); 60-69 (90) and 70-79 (11).
[WATCH] Parliament Secretary Xolile George receiving the official MPs list from Chief Justice Raymond Zondo.#Newzroom405 pic.twitter.com/3TW8sXh2Km
— Newzroom Afrika (@Newzroom405) June 6, 2024
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Compiled by Matthew Petersen
