Construction has begun on a temporary structure to house Parliament

Construction has begun on a temporary structure to house Parliament, ahead of 2025 Opening of Parliament and State of The Nation Address (SONA).

The Department of Public Works and Infrastructure (DPWI) officially handed over the site to the contractor in Cape Town for the interim dome on Tuesday.

The Dome will serve as the temporal home for Parliament for the next two years, whilst Parliament is being rebuilt following the fire that gutted it two years ago. 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 project has the blessings of both the Honourable Speaker of the National Assembly, Ms Thoko Didiza, MP and the Minister of Public Works and Infrastructure, Mr Dean Macpherson, MP. The erection of this structure is set to save the state a lot of money in terms of accommodating Parliament in the next two years,’’ said Sifiso Mdakane, DPWI Director-General.

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Eight, 12m containers, carrying all the necessary accessories and parts, which were transported from the Defence Force storage facility in Pretoria to Cape Town, were handed over to commence construction. The DPWI says the project is being overseen by the Chief Professional Architect from the Prestige Unit of the Department of Public Works and Infrastructure and construction experts.

‘’The Department of Public Works and Infrastructure will provide regular updates until the completion of this project and official handover to Parliament,’’ said Sifiso Mdakane, DPWI Director-General.

Done by: Mitchum George