South African Houses of Parliament - Cape Town, South Afica - Capitol Buildings on Waymarking.com

The parliament building itself, which also houses the Library of Parliament, is beautiful, with its central dome and Corinthian porticos and pavilions. Visitors can buy tickets to sit in the public gallery during parliamentary sessions between January and June, although you need to remember to have your passport with you, and there are guided tours through the Houses of Parliament buildings during the week. (visit link)

Parliament sits in Cape Town, even though the seat of government is in Pretoria. This dates back to the foundation of the Union, when there was disagreement among the four provinces as to which city would be the national capital. As a compromise, Cape Town was designated the legislative capital, Bloemfontein the judicial capital, and Pretoria the administrative capital. The African National Congress (ANC) government has proposed moving Parliament to Pretoria, arguing that the present arrangement is cumbersome as ministers, civil servants and diplomats must move back and forth when Parliament is in session.

However, many Capetonians have spoken out against such a move, accusing the ANC of trying to centralise power. Under the Constitution, there is provision for Parliament to sit elsewhere than Cape Town on grounds of public interest, security or convenience and Parliament is permitted to provide in its rules and orders for sittings outside Cape Town. Rule 24 of the National Assembly Rules accordingly allows the Speaker to direct that the House will sit at 'a place other than the Houses of Parliament in Cape Town' after consulting the Leader of the House and the Chief Whip of each party represented in the House. Rule 21 of the rules of the National Council of Provinces allows the Council to pass a resolution providing for it to sit elsewhere. (visit link)

Visiting address:
90 Plein Street Cape Town 8001, South Africa
Tel: 021 403 2266

Type of Capitol: National Address: Parliament St Cape Town 8000, Western Cape, South Africa Dates of Construction: 1885 Hours: Tours: From 9:00 to 12:00, Monday to Friday, excluding weekends and public holidays. Call ahead and present your passport to gain entry. Capitol Web Site: [Web Link] Historical Monuments/Memorials: Queen Victoria's statue Major Renovations: Not listed

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Date Logged Log   10/19/2014 Casper&Aero visited it