Parliament to return to hybrid sittings for plenary meetings as it waits for repairs to dome tent

CAPE TOWN - Parliament will return to hybrid sittings of its plenary meetings as from next week while it waits for repairs to be done to a dome tent to be used as its chamber from October.

It’s sparked unhappiness from the Economic Freedom Fighters (EFF) in particular, which has accused the administration of poor planning for not sourcing a venue.

In July, the House sat in a marquee tent erected on a parking lot, especially so that it could meet as a collective.

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Since the fire of more than two years ago, there’s no room big enough on the parliamentary precinct to accommodate all 400 MPs at the same time.

The Department of Public Works has been assessing the state of the dome tent used for Nelson Mandela’s Eastern Cape funeral for Parliament's use.

In the meantime, the House will return to hybrid plenary sittings next week, meaning the majority of MPs will have to participate on a virtual platform.

The EFF's Hlengiwe Mkhaliphi said this would affect accountability.

"So members of the executive, they are going to cruise nicely. because 11 members of the EFF must come here and listen to the president, and the president will be cruising nicely, to say even if you howl at me, it doesn’t matter it’s only eleven members out of 39 members."

But Speaker Thoko Didiza has appealed for patience, saying the situation was out of Parliament’s control.

"Unfortunately, when they followed up to make sure that dome can be brought to be erected, they realised the roof has cracked. So that needed fixing. Unfortunately, the budget for fixing is Public Works, not Parliament."

EWN understands getting the dome fit for Parliament’s use could cost around R300 million.