Opposition Economic Freedom Fighters (EFF) leader Julius Malema on Tuesday said that he would soon introduce the Relocation of Parliament Bill which, if adopted, would see South Africa’s parliament moved to the centrally located administrative capital of Pretoria from Cape Town.
Interested parties and institutions have been invited to submit written representations on the proposed content of the draft bill to the Speaker of the National Assembly within 30 days of the publication of the notice.
Explaining this in a gazetted memorandum, Malema said parliament’s current location created several problems for lawmakers, politicians and “broader society” wishing to participate in its legislative and oversight functions.
“Parliament is located in the farthest province from the majority of provinces, making it inaccessible to the majority of South Africans, including MPs who spend a significant amount of time travelling to and from parliament,” he argued.
Due to this, participation in parliamentary programmes was limited to individuals and institutions with financial resources, excluding those unable to travel to Cape Town, the opposition leader said.
“As a result, parliament and the government spend a lot of money on travel and lodging for MPs, the executive, the government, and state officials in order to keep colonial agreements that separate administrative (Pretoria) and legislative capital (Cape Town) in two cities by racist colonisers who excluded the majority of Africans – and still do so today,” the EFF leader said.
This is not the first time the EFF has argued that the move would help reduce costs.
Following a fire that gutted the parliament building in January, the party called for the relocation of the legislature to Pretoria, arguing that its current location “was a deal brokered by British and Afrikaner settlers upon the establishment of the union of South Africa.”
“To maintain this colonial pact of how we organise our society is nothing but a betrayal of African people and a reaffirmation that white racist spatial and political planning still overdetermines our lives in this country,” it added.
NM/jn/APA