Temporary National Assembly dome will be ready before Sona, Public Works says

Plans are taking shape to provide Parliament with a new makeshift home. A temporary National Assembly structure is expected to take about 24 days to erect.

The temporary structure will serve as the National Assembly (NA) chamber for the next two years until Parliament is reconstructed after the New Year’s 2022 arson attack.

‘The dome’

Department of Public Works spokesperson Lennox Mabaso said the dome, which was acquired in 2013 for the funeral of former president Nelson Mandela in the Eastern Cape, will serve as the temporary home for Parliament for the next two years until Parliament is rebuilt.

“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.”

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Parliament fire

Mabaso said the erection of the structure will save the state “a lot of money” in terms of accommodating Parliament in the next two years.

“Eight 12-metre 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 by the DPWI Director-General, Mr Sifiso Mdakane.

“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,” Mabaso said.

Cost

Public works said its portion of the bill for the project was about  R12 million, while Parliament would be responsible for the cost of the interior furnishings.

Parliament has been without a National Assembly chamber for almost three years after the 2 January 2022 blaze gutted the National Assembly and some parts of the Old Assembly wing, leaving MPs without a permanent venue. Zandile Mafe was arrested in connection to the fire.

Construction of the new Parliament is set to start in January.

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