Description

Essentials about the Houses of Parliament Cape Town in brief

South Africa is a country with many special features. In political terms, the greatest peculiarity is certainly that the country has three capitals, so to speak. In almost all countries of the world, the three powers of the state are united in the respective capital: legislative (the parliament as legislator), executive (the government and ministries) and judicial (the courts as jurisdiction). In South Africa, the three powers are distributed among three cities: the executive in Pretoria, the legislative in Cape Town and the judicial in Bloemfontein.

The separation of powers in South Africa

This political peculiarity has its historical roots in 1910, when the British and the Dutch divided the country into four provinces. The British provinces Cape and Natal and the Dutch provinces Orange Free State and Transvaal. Since they could not agree on a common capital, they decided to divide the powers of the state among three different cities. This geographical division of powers into three parts was retained in South Africa’s new constitution, which came into force in 1997, even after the end of the apartheid regime.

The Houses of the South African Parliament

Thus, the Parliament of South Africa continues to have its seat in Cape Town. It also consists of two houses: The National Assembly, whose members are elected by the citizens of South Africa, and the National Council of Provinces, which is appointed by the provincial governments. Both houses are elected for five-year terms.

The Parliament Building

The Cape Town Parliament Building is located right next to Company’s Garden and consists of three parts. The old building, which was constructed in the neoclassical style between 1875 and 1884, and two extensions from the 1920s and 1980s, which, however, harmonize very well with the old wing in terms of style. The old parliament building now houses the National Council of Provinces, and the newest addition is home to the National Assembly. Those interested in South African politics can visit the Houses of Parliament or attend a session.

Website

parliament.gov.za

Opening hours

Guided tours:

Guided parliamentary tours take place from Monday to Friday. Booking requests can be made by telephone or e-mail to the Visitor’s Programme Administrator. Contact details can be found on the website.

Sessions:

Both the sessions of the National Assembly and the National Council of Provinces are open to the public. Tickets can be ordered by telephone or e-mail from the Public Relations Department. Contact details can be found on the website.

Admission fees

Guided tours of Parliament and attendance at Parliament sessions are free of charge.

Address

Getting there

By public transport:

Bus lines 101 and 107: Stop Dorp

Bus line 103: Stop Roeland

Bus line 107: Stop Groote Kerk

By car:

There are a number of parking lots in the immediate vicinity of the Parliament.