Johannesburg - The first sitting of Parliament is expected to take place on May 22.
After months of electioneering following the IEC’s announcement of the results, those who have won seats will begin their roles as lawmakers.
Parliament announced that the date for the sitting is provisionally set for May 22 and is subject to the Chief Justice Mogoeng Mogoeng.
The Constitution states that both houses of Parliament, National Assembly and National Council of Provinces have to be established within 14 days of the IEC declaring the election results.
In the first sitting, the Chief Justice is expected to swear-in members of Parliament. He will also preside over the swearing of the president.
“At the NA first sitting, the Chief Justice will preside over each Member of the National Assembly’s swearing-in or affirmation of faithfulness to the Republic of South Africa and obedience to the Constitution. The House may be constituted of no fewer than 350 and no more than 400 members. The Chief Justice will also preside over the election of the Speaker of the National Assembly, who will preside over the election of the Deputy Speaker,” said Parliament spokesperson Moloto Mothapo
“In the same House sitting, the Chief Justice will then preside over the election of the President, selected from amongst the Members of Parliament in the National Assembly. The President, once elected, ceases to be a Member of Parliament and must take up an office within five days of being elected.”
A similar process is also followed for the NCOP, however, this house’s sitting is subject to provincial legislatures having sat and sworn-in members.
“In the same vein, during the NCOP first sitting, the Chief Justice will preside over the swearing in or affirmation of faithfulness to the Republic of South Africa and obedience to the Constitution from the House’s permanent delegates. He will then also preside over the election of the Chairperson of the National Council of Provinces, who are selected from the permanent delegates. As with the National Assembly, the NCOP Chairperson will then preside over the election of the Deputy Chairperson, House Chairpersons and the Chief Whip,” said Mothapo.
“Prior to the first sitting of the NCOP taking place, each of the Provincial Legislatures must have held their first sittings and sworn in their Members. Thereafter, the provincial legislatures must appoint their permanent delegates to the NCOP (10 delegates from each province). Four of the ten delegates are special delegates and six are permanent delegates.”
The presidency announced earlier that the inauguration of the president will take place on May 25.