Construction of dome to serve as National Assembly chamber taking shape
Located in an area known to be impacted by high winds, the dome’s construction looks well on target to be completed within the three week deadline the Department of Public Works set for itself.
Construction of the dome to be used as the National Assembly chamber during the fire reconstruction at Parliament. Picture: Lindsay Dentlinger/Eyewitness News
CAPE TOWN - The construction of a dome at Parliament to serve as its National Assembly chamber is rapidly taking shape.
The Department of Public Works has moved rapidly to erect the mammoth structure on a parking lot across the road from where the National Assembly building is now being stripped down for reconstruction.
The decision was made in 2024 to use the dome last erected in the Eastern Cape for the funeral of Nelson Mandela in 2013, as a cost-saving measure for the next two years.
From a steel frame laid out on the floor of the Commercial Street parking lot in the Cape Town CBD a week ago, now stands a raised structure with a partial roof.
Except for some wind interruptions, construction of the dome is proceeding swiftly.
Located in an area known to be impacted by high winds, the dome’s construction looks well on target to be completed within the three-week deadline the Department of Public Works set for itself.
The structure was transported from Pretoria to Cape Town in shipping containers in late 2024 after discussions were first had with Parliament in August about finding a suitable venue to accommodate all 400 members during the reconstruction.
With a R12 million price tag for the department, Parliament has not yet revealed how much it will cost to furnish the interior to make it suitable for sittings, nor when it will be ready for use.
As has become customary since the fire that destroyed parliament’s key buildings three years ago, President Cyril Ramaphosa will once again deliver the State of the Nation Address at Cape Town City Hall in February.
It’s expected the dome could, however, be ready for the debate that will follow that address.