South Africa’s Parliament is expected to be fully restored by December 2026, with the reconstruction budget now revised to R4.6 billion.
Secretary to Parliament Xolile George confirmed that the 2027 State of the Nation Address (SONA) will return to the refurbished National Assembly building, marking a major milestone in the recovery of the historic parliamentary complex.
“This is our last moment to convene SONA at the City Hall,” George told eNCA, referring to this year’s address hosted in Cape Town City Hall. He noted that holding the event outside Parliament costs taxpayers approximately R7.9 million.
The parliamentary precinct was severely damaged by a fire on 2 January 2022, which destroyed 493 offices and caused significant structural damage to both the Old Assembly and National Assembly buildings.
George said reconstruction work is progressing steadily and on schedule.
“The construction of Parliament is taking place at speed, and we have made commitments to finalise the reconstruction programme by December,” he said.
He confirmed that the first phase of the rebuild, which focused on restoring office space, has already been completed.
“Part of phase one was to reconstruct offices; we are glad that has been completed,” George added.
The reconstruction process has required careful planning to preserve the site’s historical heritage while incorporating modern infrastructure and safety standards.
Originally budgeted at R2.2 billion, the total project cost has since increased to R4.6 billion to reflect the full scope of rebuilding work.
“Why it has gone up is because it’s the actual cost of reconstruction, not an expansion,” George explained.
Meanwhile, the Nieuwmeester Dome-upgraded at a cost of R30 million-will host the SONA debate scheduled for 17 and 18 February, with seating capacity for about 500 Members of Parliament and delegates.
