The Bhisho legislature is considering building a 5000-seater multipurpose centre. According to minutes of the internal arrangement committee seen by the Daily Dispatch, the centre will be used by all government departments.
“The multipurpose centre is to be constructed in close proximity to the legislature. A technical meeting will be presenting the feasibility study.”
The Dispatch has learnt the centre will include a number of conference facilities, a cafeteria, auditorium and boardrooms.
Legislature spokeswoman Bulelwa Ganyaza said the discussion on the centre was still in the conceptual stage.
“The project is still at the stage of exploring its feasibility. Once the feasibility has been established, consultation with all relevant stakeholders will commence. The legislature is not in a position to either confirm or deny the statement pending the due process outlined above,” Ganyaza said.
Three years ago, the provincial government spent R13-million revamping the legislature chambers, increasing its seating capacity to 600 and installing modern recording equipment.
Despite the facelift, the Eastern Cape spent millions hiring tents for the state of the province address (Sopa).
For the past four years, the event has been hosted in a tent on the legislature lawns, costing the government R10-million.
In February this year, Sopa cost government more than R3-million, R1.25-million of that for tents and the sound system.
Another Sopa event was held in June, after the national general elections, where a further R3-million was spent. Of that, R1.4-million went towards the tent and sound.
Political parties welcomed the idea of the centre.
DA MPL Edmund van Vuuren said it could save the legislature millions. “We have been crying about this expenditure on hiring tents for Sopa and workshops.”
UDM MPL and Scopa chairman Max Mhlati also welcomed the plan.
“This is much better than having the opening of legislature in a tent every year. We have discussed this at length with all political parties in the legislature and agreed to this centre,” Mhlati said.
Economic Freedom Fighter legislature leader Themba Wele said his party had wondered why such a centre had not been built years ago.
However, Wele cautioned, the bidding process should be transparent and deserving contractors appointed.
African Independent Congress national leader Mandlenkosi Galo hoped the money used to hire tents could go towards service delivery. — mphumziz@dispatch.co.za
Bhisho plans multipurpose centre
“The multipurpose centre is to be constructed in close proximity to the legislature. A technical meeting will be presenting the feasibility study.”
The Dispatch has learnt the centre will include a number of conference facilities, a cafeteria, auditorium and boardrooms.
Legislature spokeswoman Bulelwa Ganyaza said the discussion on the centre was still in the conceptual stage.
“The project is still at the stage of exploring its feasibility. Once the feasibility has been established, consultation with all relevant stakeholders will commence. The legislature is not in a position to either confirm or deny the statement pending the due process outlined above,” Ganyaza said.
Three years ago, the provincial government spent R13-million revamping the legislature chambers, increasing its seating capacity to 600 and installing modern recording equipment.
Despite the facelift, the Eastern Cape spent millions hiring tents for the state of the province address (Sopa).
For the past four years, the event has been hosted in a tent on the legislature lawns, costing the government R10-million.
In February this year, Sopa cost government more than R3-million, R1.25-million of that for tents and the sound system.
Another Sopa event was held in June, after the national general elections, where a further R3-million was spent. Of that, R1.4-million went towards the tent and sound.
Political parties welcomed the idea of the centre.
DA MPL Edmund van Vuuren said it could save the legislature millions. “We have been crying about this expenditure on hiring tents for Sopa and workshops.”
UDM MPL and Scopa chairman Max Mhlati also welcomed the plan.
“This is much better than having the opening of legislature in a tent every year. We have discussed this at length with all political parties in the legislature and agreed to this centre,” Mhlati said.
Economic Freedom Fighter legislature leader Themba Wele said his party had wondered why such a centre had not been built years ago.
However, Wele cautioned, the bidding process should be transparent and deserving contractors appointed.
African Independent Congress national leader Mandlenkosi Galo hoped the money used to hire tents could go towards service delivery. — mphumziz@dispatch.co.za
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