The government has set aside R2-billion to rebuild parliament after parts of the building were gutted by a fire at the start of the year.
The MTBPS outlines the government’s spending priorities for the next three years.
Tabling his medium-term budget policy statement (MTBPS) at the Cape Town City Hall on Wednesday, Finance Minister Enoch Godongwana said Treasury is working with parliament’s presiding officers, National Assembly Speaker Nosiviwe Mapisa-Nqakula, and National Council of Provinces chairperson Amos Masondo to restore and rebuild parliament.
“Over the medium-term expenditure framework, we have made an allowance for approximately R2-billion for rebuilding our parliament,” said Godongwana.
The finance minister explained that the amount to rebuild Parliament was divided into two parts, being cash for the unforeseen and unavoidable costs since moving to the City Hall and the money for the actual technical work of restoring the structural integrity of the august house.
The National Prosecuting Authority has claimed that the man suspected of starting the fire, Zandile Mafe, has confessed to his alleged crime.
The state claims that Mafe had said after his arrest that it was the “right thing to put Parliament on fire as at the moment it is not helping the people of South Africa ”.
It is alleged that Mafe said that he set alight Parliament to prevent President Cyril Ramaphosa from delivering the State of the Nation Address (Sona).
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