Parliamentary Secretary Zolile George said preparations were underway for the seventh administration to be formed. The inaugural meetings of the National Assembly and National Provincial Assembly will be held at the Cape Town International Conference Centre on Friday.
Chief Justice Raymond Zondo announced that Friday would be the first sitting to swear in members of Parliament and elect the president, speaker and deputy speaker. This is in accordance with the constitution, which requires the first sitting to take place within 14 days of the announcement of the election results.
After the ANC failed to win a majority of seats in the general election, parties are still negotiating to form a Government of National Unity (GNU).
George said he was prepared and teams were working to ensure a smooth transition towards the establishment of the 7th Parliament.
During the first session of the National Assembly, the Chief Justice shall administer the prescribed oath or sworn statement to the members of the National Assembly, as the case may be.
George outlined Friday's agenda and order of business.
“Tomorrow's inaugural session of the National Assembly will begin with the swearing-in of all the designated members present. So the first turn will be the swearing-in of the members, which will be presided over by the Chief Justice of the Supreme Court of the Republic. After the swearing-in ceremony, the Chief Justice will also preside over the election of the Speaker of the National Assembly. Once elected, the newly appointed Speaker will take over the proceedings and will preside over the election of the Deputy Speaker. These elections are very important for the proper constitution of the National Assembly because it will ensure that we have a leadership structure in place to guide the functioning of the Assembly and its related tasks on the day,” George explained.
7th Congress | Preparations for the first session of Congress: