Construction of parliament’s buildings affected by fire to start this quarter

Parliament says ordinary South Africans will have a say in the rebuilding of its structures that were destroyed by fire. This as  construction is set to commence in the first quarter of this year.

Tuesday marked two years since a fire ravaged the National Assembly building, including its chamber and hundreds of offices.

Parliament spokesperson Moloto Mothapo said the institution completed site preparation for reconstruction last year, including rubble and debris removal, as well as asset verification and removal from damaged buildings.

The site is now primed for construction, he said.

Mothapo said an essential aspect of site preparation was installing temporary roofing on the damaged Old Assembly building, protecting the upcoming construction from adverse weather.

Following rubble removal, the Development Bank of SA, which is managing the project, conducted detailed site assessments, prepared designed concepts for the damaged buildings, prepared elemental costing, and presented budget estimates as well as an implementation plan to parliament.

Parts of the building found to be structurally unstable will be demolished as part of the actual rebuilding work.

Mothapo said this will be in line with the South African Heritage Resources Agency requirements. Parliament is a National Heritage Site.

The stage 2 design concepts, compliant with National Building Regulations, will incorporate green building principles.

“A green parliament building would not only be an investment in environmental sustainability but also bring economic, health, and social benefits, aligning the values and practices of the institution with the pressing need for environmental sustainability,” he said.

Mothapo said a pre-qualification process for contractors has begun. This is meant to expedite procurement upon completion of detailed designs and documentation.  

He said the reconstruction of parliament will present an opportunity to design spaces tailored to a democratic parliament’s needs and to modernise its digital infrastructure.

“At this significant moment, we remind South Africans that the construction of the new parliament building is not just an ordinary project – it is one of the most historic and crucial national endeavours.

“It is about shaping our future, realising the collective hopes and aspirations of every South African. It is a shared venture and, in that spirit, every South African will be afforded the opportunity to voice their opinions and contribute to the decision-making process regarding the design and functionality of their parliament.”

The National Treasury allocated over R2bn for the reconstruction of the damaged parliamentary buildings.

Besides preparing the construction site, parliament has also remodelled 155 offices in the administration building to accommodate MPs’ return to the precinct. Mothapo said both were the two major objectives for 2023 in terms of the rebuilding project roadmap, and all tasks were completed within the set timelines.

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