Pretoria - Fort Klapperkop has been identified by the City of Tshwane as a suitable site for Parliament should the proposal to relocate it to Pretoria see the light of day.
Mayor Kgosientso Ramokgopa said the capital city was ready to be the new home for Parliament, and had already identified land on which to construct a monumental legislative building.
That land was Fort Klapperkop, he said to the applause of councillors and guests during his State of the Capital Address at Freedom Park on Thursday. Ramokgopa said the decision was reached after various options were considered.
“This site passed all the criteria, including its relevance to the inner city renewal strategy, its symbolic significance and standing relative to the Union Buildings, its natural and environmental dimensions, as well as accessibility and immediate availability of land,” he said.
Ramokgopa said the location of Parliament at Fort Klapperkop suggested that the legislature would provide great visual linkage to the Union Buildings due to its elevation.
“The site provides superb access to the inner city, OR Tambo International Airport and the Union Buildings through a network of roads that includes the R21, N4 and the Gautrain rail network,” he said.
In addition, the mayor said the land on which Fort Klapperkop was situated fell under the ownership of the city.
Ramokgopa said the significance of the location was validated by the decision of Minister of Arts and Culture Nathi Mthethwa to designate the Fountains Valley Nature Reserve as the National Heroes Acre and a National Heritage Monument.
The location of Parliament at Fort Klapperkop also connected it to the Union Buildings, National Heroes Acre at Fountains Valley and Freedom Park, Ramokgopa told the special council sitting.
The proposed relocation has been on the government’s agenda for years and was reaffirmed during the State of the Nation Address in February by President Jacob Zuma who said at the time “we would like to persuade Parliament to reconsider the maintenance of two capitals - Pretoria as the administrative one and Cape Town as the legislative capital”.
Zuma said the matter required the attention of Parliament soon as part of the government’s drive to cut costs. The cost of keeping Parliament in Cape Town was too high and he added that Parliament urgently consider the matter. “The executive has looked into this matter and the cost is too big to be maintained,” he said.
The debate has been raging since then, for and against, with experts estimating that moving Parliament from Cape Town to Pretoria would cost at least R7 billion. However, they predicted the move would bring a savings of around R500 million to R750m a year.
Fort Klapperkop was the third fort erected by the Krupp firm and completed on January 18 in 1898. The fort also had paraffin-powered electricity, a telephone, telegraphic links and running water from Fountains Valley, shared with Fort Schanskop.
The design incorporated a moat and drawbridge, but the moat was never filled with water as the shale it was cut from was porous.
The fort was initially manned by 17 troops, later increased to 30, but all were gradually withdrawn and sent elsewhere during the course of the South African War. Although the forts were never fully armed, the 155mm Creusot cannon - also known as Long Tom - was purchased for Fort Klapperkop.
The fort was declared a historic monument on June 24, 1938, and in 1963 Fort Klapperkop was declared a National Monument under old legislation. It now forms part of the Gauteng provincial heritage sites. It affords splendid views of the capital.
Pretoria News