Parliament’s R31m stately dome in a parking lot

The department of public works is to spend at least R31m over three months to install a giant dome last used at Nelson Mandela’s funeral as the interim home venue for the National Assembly for the next two years.

This is the latest large spending spree by the department and parliament in the scramble for a suitable semi-permanent shelter after this year’s use of makeshift venues such as the highly expensive Cape Town International Convention Centre for its first sitting. Events of parliament’s size and stature at the CTICC can cost almost R3m for a mere two days.

Parliament has also been using Cape Town City Hall, where millions more have been spent on venue rental costs, broadcasting and sound equipment. However, its sittings are now held under a gigantic marquee erected in a parking lot between Commercial and Roeland streets in the city centre.

The Sunday Times this week learnt that high-ranking officials of the public works department presented the projected cost of the installation of the government-owned dome at a closed meeting of the chief whips’ forum on Wednesday.

The dome was last used in 2013 to accommodate mourners, including foreign heads of state, during Nelson Mandela’s funeral in the Eastern Cape village of Qunu. But it has not been used since, and remained in a government warehouse in Pretoria.

The dome arrived in Cape Town more than two weeks ago and has been stored in eight shipping containers at the Nieuwemeester parking lot. The total cost of transporting it to Cape Town, installing it at the Roeland Street parking lot, and repairing and renovating it for MPs attending sittings is projected to be more than R31m.

According to the presentation seen by the Sunday Times, the R31,177,500 is due to be spent on equipment such as generators, fire detectors, air conditioners, conference chairs and tables, and other items such as shipping containers to be turned into VIP toilets.

There will also be expenditure on procuring suspended timber flooring, diagonal carpet tiles and aluminium stacker doors. A further R1.6m is earmarked for “servicing, repairs and replacement” of other components of the dome.

“The estimate also accounts for the appointment of a professional structural and fire engineer as well as preliminaries and general costs.”

Excluded from the estimate are the ICT, CCTV and AV systems, as well as costs to be incurred when it is dismantled at the end of the temporary period. “This estimate is subject to change should there be any changes to the scope of work,” says the public works document.

An official who wished to remain anonymous said: “The last time this dome was used was more than 10 years ago. Since then, it has never been touched, so obviously with a structure such as this there would be wear and tear issues.

“It also has been tweaked and repurposed to be able to meet the regulatory health and safety requirements of parliament. [But there will be] long-term savings if you look at how much has been spent on the various venues rented since 2022.”

Lennox Mabaso, spokesperson for the department of public works, referred questions to parliament even though the department is managing the project.

“Please direct questions regarding the suitability of the marquee, cost savings, features, and service providers to parliament, which requested the use of an interim structure to replace the marquee.

This decision was necessitated by the need for a more durable and structurally resilient facility that will serve parliament effectively throughout the building period

“The department of public works & infrastructure is responsible for providing the dome, and costs will be shared with parliament. The presentation provided to the Chief Whips’ Forum contains all the necessary details,” he said.

Parliament’s spokesperson, Moloto Mothapo, said the dome was a cost-effective solution in the long term.

“This decision was necessitated by the need for a more durable and structurally resilient facility that will serve parliament effectively throughout the building period. Additionally, the dome structure is a cost-effective solution as it is owned by the department and there will be no rental costs similar to those being incurred with the current marquee structure.”

Public works and parliament are also pushing for the dome to be swiftly installed amid complaints by MPs about their safety as well as ventilation issues at the Nieuwemeester marquee.

Last week’s sittings of the National Assembly had to be moved from the marquee to the Good Hope Chamber after MPs said they felt unsafe while Cape Town’s strong winds blew, while audio quality was also affected.

The dome would accommodate the 490 MPs from the National Assembly and the National Council of Provinces for joint sittings such as the state of the nation address, with public and media galleries.

“Unlike the current marquee, which is designed for short-term events, the dome structure offers superior structural stability, which is important particularly given Cape Town’s challenging weather conditions. This was recently demonstrated when adverse weather forced the National Assembly to relocate to the Good Hope Chamber for a few days due to safety concerns, despite its limited capacity,” said Mothapo.

“The dome structure also offers significant advantages in terms of capacity and versatility. It will accommodate not only the full 400-member National Assembly but also provide adequate space for guests. Additionally, it is designed to facilitate joint sittings of both houses of parliament and can provide additional committee meeting venues, which makes it a more comprehensive solution for parliament’s needs.”

Attendees of the chief whips’ forum meeting on Wednesday said all parties supported the dome installation except the MK Party which raised concerns about the costs involved.