The secretary of the North West Provincial Legislature, Innocent Netshitumbu says preparations are well under way for the opening of the provincial legislature on Friday. The African National Congress (ANC) obtained over 53% of the support in the recent elections, which makes it the majority party in the provincial legislature.
Netshitumbu says all necessary arrangements with political parties have been made. The North West Provincial Legislature used to be constituted of 33 seats. It has now increased to 38.
Following the national and provincial elections last month, the ANC has 23 seats, the EFF seven, the DA five, the Freedom Front Plus one, and new kids on the block the MK Party and ActionSA one seat each. The legislature’s sitting will run concurrently with the first sitting of the National Assembly.
“Chief Justice of South Africa must appoint the judge in the province to determine the date on which the first sitting of the legislature will take place. Now the judge president of our province and determine the 14 June which he could have determined any date. When he determines what date, it is not necessary that the provincial legislature sitting must be taking place after national Parliament, but it can take place before, it can take place after, it can place at the same time,” says Innocent Netshitumbu, Secretary of NWPL.
Netshitumbu says, the Judge President of the North West High Court, Ronald Hendricks, will swear in members of the provincial legislature.
“The constitution requires that before members of the legislature begins to do their work, they must take an oath or affirmation. So, all the members must take the oath or affirmation will be administered by judge president after they have all taken the oath or affirmation, we will then proceed to do the election of office bearers. The first office bearer will be premier of the North West province, then the Speaker of the legislature of the North West, then the deputy speaker.”
The house will also nominate permanent delegates to the National Council of Provinces while other committee chairpersons will be elected soon.
