LIVE UPDATES: Outgoing Mpumalanga premier Refilwe Mtsweni-Tsipane elected chairperson of NCOP

Following a marathon night of the swearing-in of the seventh administration including the Speaker, deputy Speaker and President which will serve the country for the next five years,  the National Council of Provinces (NCOP) will hold its first sitting to elect a chairperson and permanent members on Saturday.

The proceedings will be overseen by Chief Justice Raymond Zondo.

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The Cape Town International Convention Centre which has been declared a parliamentary precinct on Friday saw the election the African National Congress’ (ANC) Thoko Didiza as speaker and the Democratic Alliance’s (DA) Annelie Lotriet becoming deputy speaker of the National Assembly.

ALSO READ: Zuma to address nation on ‘current political situation’

ANC’s President Cyril Ramaphosa was also re-elected as South Africa’s president for a second term beating the Economic Freedom Fighters (EFF) leader Julius Malema by 283 votes to 44.

Ramaphosa will be sworn in on Wednesday.

Keep up to date with all the events in the lead-up to the sitting, the sitting itself, and the reactions to our new government below.

Fifty four permanent delegates will be sworn-in at the NCOP on Saturday, excluding the 58 uMkhonto weSizwe (MK) party members who have decided to boycott the sitting.

The NCOP represents the provinces to ensure that provincial interests are taken into account in the national sphere of government, by ensuring participation in the national legislative process and by providing a national forum for consideration of issues affecting provinces.

It consists of 90 provincial delegates, which means that each province is equally represented by 10 delegates in the NCOP, collectively referred to as provincial delegations.

The first order of business will be Zondo swearing in and administering the prescribed affirmation to members of the NCOP and presiding over the election of the chairperson of the NCOP.

Thereafter, the chairperson of the NCOP will preside over the election of the deputy chairperson of the NCOP.

Additional reporting by Faizel Patel

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