Parliament wants input from society at large, on how the restored precinct should look like.
Large parts of the Parliamentary buildings were gutted in a fire in January last year.
In an engagement with the Parliamentary Press Gallery recently, the Secretary to Parliament says they will call on various bodies and the public to assist in rebuilding a Parliament that all South Africans can relate to.
National Treasury has allocated R2 billion for the reconstruction of the building.
Balancing historical heritage and innovation that will make all South Africans relate to their Parliament.
Secretary to Parliament Xolile George, “What should post democratic Parly look like? If you had chance to influence design process, how do you galvanise a cross section of SA to buy in so we can imbue rich cultural tapestry of our country to influence how post democratic Parly should look like, what values should it communicate, and so on.”
He says the restoration and redesign gives an opportunity to create more space, make the precinct more integrated and make it more accessible for people with disabilities.
And Parliament will tap into various ideas and suggestions from a wide range of organisations and the public.
“As the various designs are considered, South Africans need to be part of process so we can mobilise inputs from a number of people and bodies, architectural, heritage and green building experts and many others that can help us.”
Spokesperson for the South African Heritage Resource Agency, Ben Mwasinga, weighs in on the restoration process.
“Ultimately, besides being heritage site, it’s a Parliament of SA and a place where a lot of historical moments took place. Lots of precedence in restoring of old buildings. Look at France, Cathedral of Notre Dame that burnt down, that too is taking restoration work. [We] must find balance between conserving and incorporating as much of historical material where we can and material lost, will have to be restored and even redesigned in certain instances.”
Construction on the precinct is planned to start in January next year.
George says they are committed to meeting the deadline of November 2025 for the process to be completed.
