Repairs to the damaged dome, once used for Nelson Mandela’s funeral, are set to be completed by the end of January in time for the 2026 State of the Nation (Sona) debate.
The structure is being readied for use as temporary accommodation for sittings while the parliament complex undergoes construction following a fire that damaged the facilities in January 2022.
Public works and infrastructure minister Dean Macpherson briefed the joint standing committee on the financial management of parliament before a site visit on Wednesday afternoon.
Strong Cape Town winds recently damaged the dome’s structure, leaving a gaping hole in the roof skins.
The structure was erected by the DPWI in a nearby parking lot and is set to be used by parliament until it rebuilds the House.
The department previously said the dome would cost about R25m to fix.
Macpherson told MPs that he visited the site on Saturday ahead of the meeting so he would be “comfortable” with what was being presented. He added that a project steering committee meets every week.
“I think it was a shame that this dome was packed up and boxed for so long after former president Mandela’s funeral. If you put steel in a box and box it for eight years and then you put it up, it’s just not functional,” he said on Wednesday.
Siyamthanda Ndwandwa, construction project manager from the DPWI, updated the committee on the progress.
He said they were “stiffening the dome as much as we can so that it can be quite rigid against the wind. We’re putting up acoustic panelling to help with the sound elements as well”.
The fire safety equipment (signage, fire extinguishers) is to be procured on December 8 and delivered on the same day. Installation will be on January 20. Fire hydrant and fire detector installation will be complete on January 2,” according to the presentation to the committee.
According to the presentation, the ablution block supply design has been finalised, and the installation is set to be completed by January 26.
The delivery of generators is set to take place this month. They will be tested before delivery at the site. Installation is set to be completed early in January. The installation of the lights and plugs is set to be complete on January 19, according to the presentation.
The DA’s Michéle Clarke said it was “very impressive that you guys could reach your targets in terms of attaining time frames, because that very seldom happens within construction”.
We are going to ensure that the structure is ready, complete and fitted out so that the president can come and deliver his reply to the debate on the Sona, which will take place the week after he delivers the Sona at the City Hall. I’m confident that we’ll be able to meet those targets and timelines.
— Dean Macpherson, public works and infrastructure (DPWI) minister
She added that once the reconstruction of parliament is finalised, the dome “would be a great source of income to parliament, because you would be able to rent it out for big events”.
ANC MP Cameron Dugmore said the committee would like to be “pleasantly surprised” to see the target dates for completion met. “Obviously, we want this to be finished on time, but we just really need assurance that when that [Sona] debate happens, that everything here is sorted.”
Des van Rooyen of the MK Party asked if all procurement processes were followed correctly for the project.
In response, officials said there was a shortlist of seven bidders and only three bids were submitted. Crystal Sparkle Trading was the successful bidder.
Speaking to the Sunday Times after the site visit, Macpherson said he welcomed the oversight visit by parliament.
“This is a joint project between both the DPWI and parliament, where we are sharing the costs to house parliamentary sittings while the new building is under construction.
“We provided a detailed report on the timelines and the progress that we are making day by day,” he said.
He added he was committed to receiving daily reports from the contractors and the teams and “then visit the site every week to ensure that we are making progress”.
Macpherson said he was “sufficiently happy” with the progress made so far and the oversight role being conducted by parliament.
“We are going to ensure that the structure is ready, complete and fitted out so that the president can come and deliver his reply to the debate on the Sona, which will take place the week after he delivers the Sona at the City Hall. I’m confident that we’ll be able to meet those targets and timelines,” he said.
The ANC’s Sanny Ndhlovu, co-chairperson of the joint standing committee, said the committee was “confident” in what they saw during the visit.
She said there would be a meeting where members of the committee would be able to ask further questions early next year.
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