National Assembly sittings to be held at Good Hope Chamber

The Speaker of the National Assembly Nosiviwe Mapisa-Nqakula held a meeting with chief whips of political parties to discuss alternative venues for official sittings of the National Assembly on Monday.

Parliament spokesperson Moloto Mothapo says due to repairs set to take time alternative venues are needed for work to continue.

“It is anticipated that any work to repair or rebuild the National Assembly will take longer, a swift decision on the alternative venue for the sittings of the House needed to be taken to ensure the business of the House is not interrupted.”

“After considering various alternative venues, the meeting took a decision that, beyond the State of the Nation Address, the sittings of the National Assembly must be retained within the precincts of Parliament, in the Good Hope Chamber. Good Hope Chamber,” says Mothapo.

This follows the fire which damaged parts of the buildings of Parliament, including the National Assembly building.

Due to the fire, a decision was taken last week to hold the SONA, a joint sitting of Parliament ordinarily held in the National Assembly Chamber, the post-SONA debate and reply by the President at the City Hall in Cape Town.

 Mothapo says thereafter the sittings of the National Assembly, including the Budget Speech scheduled for February, will be in the Good Hope Chamber.

 Good Hope Chamber, historically used  for the sittings of the Cape Legislative Assembly between 1854 and 1885, is one of the oldest meeting rooms of Parliament

 ALSO READ: