Houses of Parliament, Cape Town

Last updated
Houses of Parliament
Houses of Parliament (Cape Town).jpg
The old assembly building viewed from the Company's Garden
Location Cape Town, South Africa
Coordinates 33°55′34″S18°25′09″E / 33.92611°S 18.41917°E / -33.92611; 18.41917
Built1875–1884
Architects Charles Freeman, Henry Greaves, Sir Herbert Baker
Architectural style(s) Neoclassical, Cape Dutch architecture

The Houses of Parliament of South Africa are situated in Cape Town. The building consists of three main sections: the original building, completed in 1884, and additions constructed in the 1920s and 1980s. The newer additions house the National Assembly (the lower house of the bicameral Parliament of South Africa), and the original building houses the National Council of Provinces (the upper house of Parliament).

Contents

The original parliament building was designed for the Parliament of the Cape of Good Hope in a Neoclassical style, incorporating features of Cape Dutch architecture. The later additions have been so designed as to blend with the original building. The Houses of Parliament have been declared a National Heritage Site by the South African Heritage Resources Agency (SAHRA) and given grade 1 national heritage status, the highest grade set by SAHRA. [1]

Parliament House was severely damaged by a large fire that broke out on 2 January 2022.

History

The Masonic Lodge which served as the venue of the second Cape Parliament GoedeHoop Masonic Lodge 1872 - Cape Parliament.jpg
The Masonic Lodge which served as the venue of the second Cape Parliament

Queen Victoria granted permission for the establishment of a parliament in the Cape Colony in 1853. The first sittings were held in the governor's residence, the Tuynhuys, after which sittings were held in the Goede Hoop Masonic Lodge. This building was used by the South African Freemasons. [2] [3] (Their Lodge were called de Goede Hoop). The then upper house was housed in the old supreme court building, which itself had been the slave lodge under VOC rule.

The original parliament building

Freeman's original elaborate plan for the new Parliament Original plan for the Cape Parliament - Freeman.jpg
Freeman's original elaborate plan for the new Parliament
The final Parliament building as constructed (without statues, dome or fountains) Parliament of the Cape of Good Hope - CapeArch.jpg
The final Parliament building as constructed (without statues, dome or fountains)

MPs noted that the masonic lodge building was unimposing, and did not command any respect.

Although opposed by then Prime Minister John Charles Molteno due to financial considerations, a committee was set up to receive designs for a new parliament building. The committee selected an elaborate design by architect Charles Freeman, and construction began on 12 May 1875, with the then governor of the Cape Colony, Henry Barkly, laying the cornerstone.

Almost immediately it was discovered that Freeman's plans were faulty. Freeman's errors were compounded by the presence of groundwater, and a recalculation of the budget revealed that the actual costs would be many times the original figure that the government had allowed for. For his incompetence, Freeman was fired, and Henry Greaves was appointed architect in 1876. Freeman's plans were altered to exclude seemingly unnecessarily expensive features such as a central dome, statues, parapets and fountains.

Building re-commenced, but was delayed – this time by the British overthrow of the Cape government in 1878, the ensuing Confederation Wars, and finally by the building company going bankrupt in 1883. Greaves tenaciously completed the job however, and the large, stately, but relatively unpretentious building was finally opened in 1884. [4]

Cape Prime Minister Thomas Scanlen, and British Governor Henry Robinson led the opening ceremony in the building, declared finally to be worthy of the country's Legislature. [5]

Later additions

Current National Assembly building added in the 1980s SouthAfricanNationalAssembly.jpg
Current National Assembly building added in the 1980s

In the 1920s, Parliament commissioned Sir Herbert Baker to build an extension to the building, including a new chamber for the House of Assembly. The old Assembly chamber became the Parliamentary Dining Room, run by the catering department of South African Railways & Harbours. A further extension was created in the 1980s, when the 1910 constitution was replaced with the novel tricameral constitution which provided a parliamentary house each for Whites, Coloureds, and Indians. Further constitutional changes moved the centre of power away from the old building and towards the newer wing. [6]

2022 fire

During the morning of 2 January 2022, a fire broke out in third-floor offices in the parliamentary precinct and spread to the lower and upper houses. [7] By mid-morning, fire crews were still attempting to control the fire. [8] The buildings were severely damaged. It was reported that the sprinkler system had not functioned correctly, [9] and protection services staff were not on duty. [10]

Police confirmed that a 49-year-old man had been detained for questioning. [11] He was subsequently arrested by the Hawks Priority Crime unit. [12] He has reportedly been charged with arson, housebreaking and theft under the National Key Points Act, and appeared in court on 4 January. [13] Identified by the New York Times as Zandile Christmas Mafe, 49, the suspect's sanity was questioned by prosecutors. [14] The Times goes on to report, Mr. Mafe was "committed to a psychiatric hospital on Tuesday to determine whether he is fit to stand trial on terrorism and other charges."

See also

Related Research Articles

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Parliament of South Africa</span> Legislative body of South Africa

The Parliament of the Republic of South Africa is South Africa's legislature; under the present Constitution of South Africa, the bicameral Parliament comprises a National Assembly and a National Council of Provinces. The current twenty-eighth Parliament was first convened on 14 June 2024.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Potchefstroom</span> Place in North West, South Africa

Potchefstroom, colloquially known as Potch, is an academic city in the North West Province of South Africa. It hosts the Potchefstroom Campus of the North-West University. Potchefstroom is on the Mooirivier, roughly 120 km (75 mi) west-southwest of Johannesburg and 45 km (28 mi) east-northeast of Klerksdorp.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Blagdon</span> Human settlement in England

Blagdon is a village and civil parish in the ceremonial county of Somerset, within the unitary authority of North Somerset, in England. It is located in the Mendip Hills, a recognised Area of Outstanding Natural Beauty. According to the 2011 census it has a population of 1,116. The village is about 12 miles (19 km) east of Weston-super-Mare on the A368 between Churchill and Compton Martin.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Cape Town City Hall</span> Multi-use hall in Cape Town, South Africa

Cape Town City Hall is a large Edwardian building in Cape Town city centre which was built in 1905. It is located on the Grand Parade to the west of the Castle and is built from honey-coloured oolitic limestone imported from Bath in England.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Castle of Good Hope</span> 17th-century bastion fort in Cape Town, South African

The Castle of Good Hope is a bastion fort built in the 17th century in Cape Town, South Africa. Originally located on the coastline of Table Bay, following land reclamation the fort is now located inland. In 1936 the Castle was declared a historical monument and following restorations in the 1980s it is considered the best preserved example of a Dutch East India Company fort.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Christoffel Brand</span> Cape lawyer (1797–1875)

Sir Christoffel Joseph Brand was a Cape jurist, politician, statesman and first Speaker of the Legislative Assembly of the Cape Colony.

Qubudile Richard Dyantyi has represented the African National Congress (ANC) in the National Assembly since 2019. Before that, he was a Member of the Western Cape Provincial Parliament and served as the Western Cape's Member of the Executive Council (MEC) for Local Government and Housing from 2005 to 2008. In 2021, he was elected chairperson of the national parliament's Committee for the Section 194 Enquiry into Busisiwe Mkhwebane's fitness to hold office.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">National heritage sites of South Africa</span>

Section 27 of the National Heritage Resources Act (NHRA) of South Africa provides for places of historic or cultural importance to be designated national heritage sites. This came into effect with the introduction of the Act on 1 April 2000, when all former national monuments declared by the former National Monuments Council and its predecessors became provincial heritage sites as provided for in Section 58 of the Act.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Tina Joemat-Pettersson</span> South African politician (1963–2023)

Tina Monica Joemat-Pettersson was a South African politician who served as the Chairperson of the Portfolio Committee on Police from July 2019 until her death in June 2023. A member of the African National Congress, Joemat-Petterson had previously served as the Minister of Agriculture, Forestry and Fisheries from 2009 until 2014 and as the Minister of Energy from May 2014 until March 2017 under President Jacob Zuma.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Fort de Goede Hoop</span> Former fortification in Cape Town

The Fort de Goede Hoop was the first military building to be erected in what is now Cape Town. It was built in 1652, and was in use until 1674 when it was superseded by the Castle of Good Hope.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Chavonnes Battery</span> Historical fortification protecting Cape Town, South Africa

The Chavonnes Battery was a fortification protecting Cape Town, South Africa, built in the early 18th century. It is now a museum and function venue.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Parliament of the Cape of Good Hope</span> Historic legislature of the British Cape Colony

The Parliament of the Cape of Good Hope functioned as the legislature of the Cape Colony, from its founding in 1853, until the creation of the Union of South Africa in 1910, when it was dissolved and the Parliament of South Africa was established. It consisted of the House of Assembly and the legislative council.

François Renier Duminy was a French mariner, navigator, cartographer and South African pioneer.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Harold Cressy High School</span> Public school in Cape Town, South Africa

Harold Cressy High School is a secondary school in District Six of Cape Town in South Africa. It was founded in January 1951 as the Cape Town Secondary School. The school has played a substantial role in South African history during the apartheid period and the building is identified as an important landmark.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">South African International Exhibition</span> Worlds fair held in Cape Town, Cape Colony, in 1877

The South African International Exhibition was a world's fair held in Cape Town, Cape Colony in 1877. It was officially opened on 15 February of that year by Henry Bartle Frere.

Freemasonry was brought to South Africa by members of the Grand Orient of the Netherlands in 1772. Today there are lodges chartered under the United Grand Lodge of England, the Grand Lodge of Scotland, the Grand Lodge of Ireland, the Grand Lodge of South Africa, as well as Le Droit Humain

Abraham van der Weijden, a Dutch citizen, was a ship’s captain and the initiator of Freemasonry in South Africa.

Beauty Nomvuzo Dlulane is a South African politician who is currently serving as the chairperson of the Portfolio Committee on Sports, Arts and Culture in the National Assembly of South Africa. She has represented the African National Congress (ANC) in Parliament since 1997. Between 2012 and 2022, she was also a member of the National Executive Committee of the ANC.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">2022 Parliament of South Africa fire</span> Fire at the parliamentary precinct in Cape Town, South Africa

The 2022 Parliament of South Africa fire was a major fire at the parliamentary complex in Cape Town, South Africa.

Events in the year 2022 in South Africa.

References

  1. ↑ "SA Parliament declared a National Heritage Site". South African Heritage Resources Agency. Archived from the original on 2018-05-30.
  2. ↑ "Masonic Hall - Lodge de Goede Hoop" . Retrieved 8 September 2018.
  3. ↑ Lamprecht, M. (8 June 2014). "Parliament's secret temple revealed". City Press newspaper. Retrieved 9 September 2018.
  4. ↑ Phyllis Lewsen: The First Crises in Responsible Government in the Cape Colony. University of The Witwatersrand / Argief-jaarboek vir Suid-Afrikaanse geskiedenis. 1940/3.
  5. ↑ "GREAVES, Henry [Harry] Sidon".
  6. ↑ "The Houses of Parliament, Cape Town". 3 November 2009.
  7. ↑ "National Assembly barely visible as heavy cloud of smoke covers Parliament". News24. 2 January 2022. Retrieved 2 January 2022.
  8. ↑ "Fire at parliament has spread to another building". BusinessLIVE. 22 January 2022. Retrieved 2 January 2022.
  9. ↑ "Cape Town: Major blaze rips through South Africa parliament building". BBC News . 2 January 2022.
  10. ↑ Merten, Marianne (2 January 2022). "Major fire wracks parliament building, raising questions about why no protection services staff were on duty". Daily Maverick. Retrieved 2 January 2022.
  11. ↑ "Police confirm 49-year-old man being questioned for Parliament fire". News24. 2 January 2022. Retrieved 2 January 2022.
  12. ↑ "Hawks take over investigation of Parliament fire, arrest 49-year-old". News24. 2 January 2022. Retrieved 2 January 2022.
  13. ↑ Patrick, Alex (3 January 2022). "Fourth-floor hotspots being damped down in National Assembly". BusinessLIVE. Retrieved 3 January 2022.
  14. ↑ Chutel, Lynsey (January 11, 2022). "Suspect in South Africa's Parliament Fire is Sent For Psychiatric Check". The New York Times.
This page is based on this Wikipedia article
Text is available under the CC BY-SA 4.0 license; additional terms may apply.
Images, videos and audio are available under their respective licenses.