Parliament lags behind in restoration of fire-damaged buildings

CAPE TOWN - Parliament has fallen behind in restoring its fire-damaged buildings. 

The rebuilding of its old assembly building is only expected to start in May, more than three years since a New Year’s Day fire razed the new and old assembly buildings. 

The Secretary to Parliament, Xolile George, pinned the blame on the time it’s taken to hire contractors, a job outsourced to the Development Bank of South Africa. 

However, he’s assured the committee on the financial management of Parliament, that the delays won’t impact next year’s completion date. 

George said the institution’s 70% performance rate for the third quarter was largely owing to delays on the building restoration project. 

“We’re at the design stage and that process is entirely executed through the implementation agent, and at the time in December it could not be completed, as a task in terms of documentation to go out on tender.”

Reconstruction of the new assembly building that bore the brunt of the fire is set to start before the end of March. 

African National Congress (ANC) deputy chief whip Doris Dlakude expressed concern about the impact the Cape’s wet and windy winter could have on making up lost time. 

But George said this will be overcome. 

“The reconciliation of the rebuilding of parliament is such that both contractors when they start whilst the first one starting now, and the other envisaged to start in May, their completion is reconciled.”

A full briefing on the restoration project is expected to be made to the committee next week.

The reconstruction, for which R3 billion has been set aside is due to be completed by September 2026.