Secretary Xolile George during a media briefing on preparations ahead of the first sittings of parliament at Cape Town International Convention Centre (CTICC) on June 13, 2024 in Cape Town, South Africa. This comes after the IEC declared that the May 29 general elections were free and fair. (Photo by Gallo Images/Ziyaad Douglas)
The president-elect of South Africa will be inaugurated in Pretoria next Wednesday, 19 June 2024.
The secretary to Parliament, Xolile George confirmed the date on Thursday.
George updated South Africans on preparations to host the first sittings of the two Houses of parliament – the National Assembly (NA) and the National Council of Provinces (NCOP)- on 14 and 15 June, respectively.
Both sittings will take place at the Cape Town International Convention Centre, which has now been declared a parliamentary precinct.
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NA and NCOP members must be sworn in not more than 14 days after the election result has been declared.
The president of the country must be sworn in not more than five days after the election of the NA and NCOP members.
George said parliament was ready for the first sitting on Friday, with registration having started on Wednesday. As of Thursday morning, parliament had successfully onboarded no less than 180 members to its system.
“Over the past months, the administration of parliament has undertaken extensive preparatory work to ensure a seamless transition from the 6th term to the 7th term of parliament,” said George.
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“This has been a pivotal moment for the nation, involving a delicate constitutional process that has not been without its challenges. Working collaboratively with the executive and the judiciary, we have surmounted these challenges to ensure the success of this important inaugural sittings of the two Houses of parliament.”
“Based on the list received from the Chief Justice, parliament has been interfacing with elected members and their parties to capture their details into the parliamentary system and making logistical arrangements for their travel and accommodation.”
New members will be introduced to the rules and process of parliament to ensure the smooth-running of the proceedings.
The first official order of business will be the swearing-in of members. This will be presided over by Chief Justice Raymond Zondo.
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The Chief Justice will then preside over the election of the Speaker of the National Assembly.
Once appointed, the Speaker will take over the proceedings and preside over the election of the deputy speaker.
“These elections are crucial for the proper constitution of the National Assembly as they ensure that the leadership structure is in place to guide the House functions and related duties of the day,” said George.
“Once the House is fully constituted, it is now fully able to discharge its responsibilities.”
Lastly, there will be a call for nominations for the president-elect of South Africa.
The voting process will be done through a secret vote.
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On Saturday, 54 members of the NCOP will be sworn in as the first order of business. 5
These are 54 members who represent provinces as permanent delegates.
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