By Lehlohonolo Lehana.
The Secretary to Parliament Xolile George updated South Africans on preparations to host the first sittings of the two Houses of parliament – the National Assembly (NA) and the National Council of Provinces (NCOP)- on 14 and 15 June, respectively.
Both sittings will take place at the Cape Town International Convention Centre, which has now been declared a parliamentary precinct.
NA and NCOP members must be sworn in not more than 14 days after the election result has been declared.
The president of the country must be sworn in not more than five days after the election of the NA and NCOP members.
George said parliament was ready for the first sitting on Friday, with registration having started on Wednesday. As of Thursday morning, parliament had successfully onboarded no less than 180 members to its system.
“Over the past months, the administration of parliament has undertaken extensive preparatory work to ensure a seamless transition from the 6th term to the 7th term of parliament,” said George.
This has been a pivotal moment for the nation, involving a delicate constitutional process that has not been without its challenges. Working collaboratively with the executive and the judiciary, we have surmounted these challenges to ensure the success of this important inaugural sittings of the two Houses of parliament.”
“Based on the list received from the Chief Justice, parliament has been interfacing with elected members and their parties to capture their details into the parliamentary system and making logistical arrangements for their travel and accommodation.”
New members will be introduced to the rules and process of parliament to ensure the smooth-running of the proceedings.
The first official order of business will be the swearing-in of members. This will be presided over by Chief Justice Raymond Zondo.
The Chief Justice will then preside over the election of the Speaker of the National Assembly.
Once appointed, the Speaker will take over the proceedings and preside over the election of the deputy speaker.
“These elections are crucial for the proper constitution of the National Assembly as they ensure that the leadership structure is in place to guide the House functions and related duties of the day,” said George.
“With the speaker and deputy Speaker elected, the National Assembly will then be constitutionally competent to proceed with its first major task — the election of the man or woman from amongst the members of the Assembly, to be inaugurated as the President of the Republic,” said George. “This is a crucial process, as it sets the stage for the formation of the new administration that will govern the country. Once elected, the person ceases to be a member of parliament.”
The constitution stipulates that once elected as president by the National Assembly, the president-elect must assume office within five days by taking an oath or affirming their faithfulness to the republic and their obedience to the constitution, according to the parliament’s secretary.
“After the conclusion of the first sittings, members will proceed to attend the inauguration of the president-elect, which is scheduled for June 19, 2024 in Pretoria,” he added.
Meanwhile the National Joint Operational and Intelligence Structure (NATJOINTS) said it’s ready to ensure safety and security at the first Parliament sitting.
Deputy Police Commissioner Tebello Mosikili said during media briefing, “We are still in the third phase of our NATJOINTS National and Provincial Elections Plan. As a structure, we are thus far satisfied with how our law enforcement agencies have responded to all incidents throughout the country during the elections phase.
“It is therefore fitting to say, as the NATJOINTS and all our PROVJOINTS structures we are ready to ensure the continued smooth running of all events that are yet to be held including tomorrow’s first sitting in Cape Town, and all Provincial Legislature sittings taking place simultaneously in all provinces,” said Mosikili.
All provincial legislatures, except the Western Cape which concluded its processes on Thursday, are expected to sit and elect the provincial leadership on Friday.
At the same time, NatJoints has warned against any disruptions of the official proceedings.
“All law enforcement agencies coordinated through the NATJOINTS have mobilised resources to ensure deployments are in place including heightening police visibility around the Cape Town International Convention Centre with the aim of preventing and combatting any form of opportunistic crimes before, during and post the planned sitting.”
Mosikili said those who wish to demonstrate their unhappiness with any aspect of Friday’s event should do so within the confines of the law or they would face prompt reaction from officers on the ground.