Just 12 days since the declaration of the elections as free and fair by the IEC, the newly elected public representatives will sit for the first time in the 7^th parliament this afternoon. In this sitting the Speaker of parliament, deputy speaker, and the country’s president will be elected by the members of the National Assembly.

What will be historic about this day?

For the very first time, the African National Congress, which has enjoyed being the major party in the National Assembly will depend on other members of parliament to elect presiding officers of parliament (speaker and deputy speaker), as well as the president of the country.

However, you may have heard that a deal has been struck amongst the parties forming the Government of national unity (GNU) with regards to electing the two most important positions in parliament: speaker and deputy speaker. As part of horse-trading in the GNU, the Democratic Alliance’s Siviwe Gwarube has allegedly been put forward for the position of speaker. This position has always been occupied by an ANC member. It is not quite clear yet who could be elected to the position of deputy speaker.

Electing the president is also part of today’s business. It seems all parties are not gunning for the highest position in the land and the ANC’s secretary general Fikile Mbalula says, “Ramaphosa is the president of the ANC. If you come to us with a demand that Ramaphosa must stand down as president, that is not going to happen … No political party will dictate terms like that to the ANC. That is a no-go area.”

He emphasised that Ramaphosa was part of a leadership collective which, when tested, would not run.

New venue for first sitting

These inaugural sittings will take place at the Cape Town International Convention Centre (CTICC), as the parliamentary precinct is undergoing renovation after the fire that damaged several buildings in 2022. The CTICC has been officially handed over to Parliament and declared part of the precinct of Parliament.

Secretary of parliament Xolile George says, “all the provisions of the Powers and Privileges of Parliament and Provincial Legislatures Act apply to this venue, ensuring that parliamentary procedures and security measures are fully upheld.”

He further explained that the CTICC was chosen for this occasion over Cape Town’s City Hall due to its greater capacity to accommodate the approximately 400 Members of Parliament along with their guests. In addition, Mr George stated, the CTICC offers ample space to facilitate the group swearing-in of new Members and is well-suited to meet the specific space requirements necessary for the voting procedures, which will ensure that all Members can participate efficiently, freely and securely in exercising their constitutional mandates.

Orders of today’s day

The order of proceedings during the first sitting of Parliament are as follows; first, the swearing-in of the new Members of Parliament will take place. This will be followed by the election of the Speaker of the National Assembly, which will be presided over by the Chief Justice. Thereafter, the Speaker will preside over the election of his/her deputy. Then, the House will elect the President who will be sworn in by the Chief Justice. The tentative date for the inauguration of the elected President is 19 June.