The legislature, not the ministry of public projects and infrastructure, which oversees the legislative complex and provides infrastructure assistance to the institution, will receive the funds necessary to replace parliament buildings destroyed by fire earlier this year.
National Assembly speaker Nosiviwe Mapisa-Nqakula made the announcement to the joint standing committee on financial management of parliament, which monitors the spending habits of parliament and the actions of its managers. This is according to Times Live.
Sources say parliament wanted to take the lead in the reconstruction of its destroyed facilities and manage the allocated funds because of widespread corruption in the public works sector.
While the money will be given to the legislature, the speaker assured everyone that the legislature, the Department of Public Works and Infrastructure, and the National Treasury will all work together to lead the project and keep tabs on its budget.
For the rebuilding of parliament, “the money will be ring-fenced squarely,” as Mapisa-Nqakula put it.
She reaffirmed that R2.2 bn, which would include everything from furniture to new computer systems, was the projected price tag for reinstating parliament.
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Mapisa-Nqakula declared that they would not be constructing a modular building to house people temporarily while renovations were carried out.
This sum, she suggested, is almost equivalent to the projected cost for repairing the Old Assembly building. The National Treasury agreed that the repair of Parliament should be treated as a distinct project from the ongoing discussion about moving Parliament.
She stated, “That is not a topic on the agenda right now,” and went on to say that whether the parliament was relocated, the buildings would need to be renovated.
Xolile George, the secretary to parliament, has revealed that they anticipate receiving R180 million to prepare for the state of the country address, budget, and MP offices for the upcoming year.
Although it fell short of their original request, he noted, “it will help us sail through till March around unforeseen expense.”