By Lehlohonolo Lehana.
Tshwane Metro Police Department (TMPD) has announced that several roads will be closed near the Union Buildings in Pretoria ahead of the Presidential inauguration on Wednesday, 19 June 2024.
This is after Cyril Ramaphosa was re-elected as the President of South Africa on Friday at the first sitting of the National Assembly of the seventh democratic administration, which was held at the Cape Town International Convention Centre (CTICC).
Three hundred and thirty-nine ballot papers were issued and counted, with 12 invalid ballots. Ramaphosa received 283 votes against Economic Freedom Fighters leader Julius Malema, who received 44 votes from MPs.
The Presidential inauguration is expected to be attended by the President-elect, Members of Parliament, dignitaries, foreign Heads of State, other guests and members of the public.
Section 87 of the Constitution of the Republic of South Africa prescribes that the President of the Republic must be sworn in within five days after his or her election by the National Assembly.
The South African National Defence Force (SANDF) will perform the ceremonial elements of the inauguration, as they pledge their allegiance to both the Republic and the Commander-In-Chief.
The ceremonial elements will include, amongst others, a 21-gun salute, a salute flight by the South African Air Force, inspection of a SANDF battalion, a battalion march past, and massed fly past.
According to the TMPD, the Heads of State or Governments and the delegates are expected to arrive at a different point of entry.
Road closures around the Union Buildings will be implemented from 3am on Wednesday, until 6am on Thursday, 20 June 2024, as follows:
• Gordon Road and Stanza Bopape Street
• Jan Shoba and Stanza Bopape Street
• Grosvenor and Stanza Bopape Street
• Hilda and Stanza Bopape Street
• Festival and Stanza Bopape Street
• Athlone and Stanza Bopape Street
• Hill and Stanza Bopape Street
• Orient and Stanza Bopape Street
• Balmoral Avenue and Stanza Bopape Street
• Lisdogan Avenue and Stanza Bopape Street
• Farenden and Stanza Bopape Street
• East Avenue and Stanza Bopape Street
• Beckett and Stanza Bopape Street
• Pine and Stanza Bopape Street
• Blackwood and Stanza Bopape Street
• Johan and Stanza Bopape Street
• Wessels and Stanza Bopape Street
• Madiba and Stanza Bopape Street
• Leyds/Zeederberg and Stanza Bopape Street
• Hamilton and Stanza Bopape Street
• Steve Biko and Stanza Bopape Street
• Dumbarton Road and Stanza Bopape Street
• Dumbarton Road and Harcourt Street
• Dumbarton Road and Nassau Street
• Madiba Street and Government Avenue
• Edmond Street and Government Avenue
• Balmoral and Government Avenue
• Tom Jenkins Drive and Soutpansberg Road
• Tom Jenkins Drive and Russell Street
• Tom Jenkins Drive next to Government House
• East and Government Avenue
• Beckett Street and Government Avenue
• Pine Street and Government Avenue
• Blackwood Street and Government Avenue
• North Street
• Soutpansberg Road
• Van Der Merwe Street
• Nuffield Street
TMPD said the trial run of the street closures for the Presidential inauguration is scheduled to take place on 16 and 17 June 2024 from 2am, until it is completed.
“The Tshwane Metro Police Department, together with other law enforcement agencies, will be deployed to monitor the street closures.”
Alternative routes
Motorists are advised to avoid the affected streets and to use alternative routes, such as the following:
• Pretorius Street
• Park Street
• Du Toit Street
• Greef Street
• Frederika Street
• Justice Mahomed Street
Park and ride
Rietondale Park will be open for guests and members of the public to park their cars and ride the bus to the Union Buildings.
The shuttles will commence operations from 3am until 6:30am.
There will be no private vehicle access to the Union Buildings or the area surrounding the venue except for residents with permits.
Residents in streets affected by the closures around the Union Buildings and Rietondale are urged to collect permits from Pieter Delport Centre at 770 Government Avenue, Eastcliff in Pretoria.