Following their version of the SONA being delivered yesterday, the DA legal team has served Parliament with a letter of demand to find a suitable venue for the National Assembly.

This comes as it has been over a year since the Parliament fire and a few months since the allocation of R2 billion for its rebuild.

With the predicament the National Assembly found itself in, proceedings have had to take place in the Good Hope Chamber, which accommodates 30% of the total National Assembly members. 

As a result, proceedings have taken place in a hybrid fashion, except for renting out the City Hall for the SONA.

According to the DA, the current system in place of hiring the City Hall is “costly and unsustainable”, adding that this could easily be avoided by having an alternative venue in which “Parliament can procure its ICT equipment” for the next coming years.

“The institution’s core mandate is to hold the executive to account and this has not been happening adequately due to the challenges of connection in a country with rolling blackouts”- The Democratic Alliance (DA)

The letter issued points fingers at Parliament, accusing it of being in contravention of the Constitution, adding that the work of Parliament should be accessible to the public, which hasn’t been done since 2020.

In closing, the letter stated: “The DA therefore respectfully demands that the Speaker and the Chairperson:
16.1. Confirm whether they intend to take the necessary steps to return to full physical sittings.
16.2. If so, please provide a plan, including a timetable for the return to physical sitting.
16.3. If not, kindly provide full reasons for why the Speaker and the Chairperson do not intend to comply with their constitutional obligations”

The DA has since given Parliament, 14 days to respond to their letter of demands.

Meanwhile, the City of Cape Town is being prepared for the SONA that is set to take place tomorrow evening. 

With many roads already having been closed off for rehearsals, as well as a R8 million budget allocated for the next few days, the first physical SONA, since the pandemic is set to be memorable.