Speaker Nosiviwe Mapisa-Nqakula says the rebuilding of parliament has started and she was confident they will meet the deadline to finish the project.
Parliament had indicated after the fire last year January that the restoration of the institution will be completed by November 2025.
Mapisa-Nqakula told the joint financial management committee of Parliament on Friday that the restoration of parliament will be finalised within the deadline.
She said the rubble has been removed, and work has already started.
The Development Bank of Southern Africa is the project leader for the restoration of the National Legislature.
National Treasury allocated R2 billion for the project.
Mapisa-Nqakula said the fire had a negative impact on the functioning of Parliament, as offices housing MPs were burnt down.
This led to sittings and committee meetings to be held virtually.
But some of the committee meetings are held physically.
Mapisa-Nqakula said the fire had caused disruption to the business of the institution.
She said the restoration process was already under way after the rubble was removed.
“As you know the restoration process is under way and for me the most important form of this is that members of parliament, all of them without exception, have offices where they can function. We have succeeded in doing that. But also the rubble, which has been there, which is tons and tons, which they have been removing for the past couple months has been (completely) removed.
“I think we are taking baby steps, but we are doing well. I am confident that even the deadline which we have set for ourselves for the actual completion of the restoration process will be met,” said Mapisa-Nqakula.
Parliament has since last year hosted major events, including the State of the Nation Address and the Budget in the Cape Town City Hall.
Finance Minister Enoch Godongwana tabled his Medium Term Budget Policy Statement on Wednesday at the city hall.
The issue of alternative venues for Parliament has been a subject of discussion in the programming committee.
But they have been using the city hall for most of the time, as it was considered to be cheaper compared to other venues they have looked at in the city.
siyabonga.mkhwanazi@inl.co.za
Politics