Macpherson says Public Works not prepared to foot estimated R40m bill to furnish dome tent
After spending R6.2 million to transport and erect the dome tent, purchased for Nelson Mandela’s funeral in 2013, Macpherson is pumping the brakes on spending millions more to meet Parliament’s expectations for a National Assembly chamber.
FILE: The giant dome is being used as a temporary chamber of the South African National Assembly in Cape Town, South Africa. Picture: Supplied/@ParliamentofRSA
CAPE TOWN - What was meant to be a cheaper temporary alternative to renting space for Parliament’s plenary sittings, the dome tent has now turned into a costly headache.
Public Works Minister Dean Macpherson said that his department was not prepared to foot the estimated R40 million bill to furnish the dome, which has been erected on a parking lot across from Parliament.
The dome has been unused over the last five months after Parliament returned the rented furnishings which allowed for all members to attend sittings at the start of the year.
After spending R6.2 million to transport and erect the dome tent, purchased for Nelson Mandela’s funeral in 2013, Macpherson is pumping the brakes on spending millions more to meet Parliament’s expectations for a National Assembly chamber.
In response to a reply to a parliamentary question from ActionSA, Macpherson said he was rejecting the cost put forward for purchasing furniture, air conditioning, generators and an electrical sub-station.
"We, as the Department of Public Works, cannot be expected to foot a bill as is contemplated to try and get it to a level which is actually impossible. We just don’t have that kind of money, we are already suffering extraordinary budget cuts."
Last week, Parliament had to once again hire space at the Cape Town International Convention Centre to allow for a full physical sitting of the National Assembly to pass the budget, while the dome stands vacant and unused.
MPs had previously complained of bad acoustics in the dome, as well as poor ventilation, and on one occasion, high winds also posed a threat to safety.
Macpherson said that he’d been meeting with Parliament and sent officials back to the drawing board to determine how refurbishment costs could be brought down.
On Friday, the administration informed MPs that the cost of rebuilding Parliament would double to more than four billion rand and that it’s completion date had been pushed back for a third time - to October 2026.