Despite more than R31.7m in refurbishment costs and repeated assurances from public works & infrastructure minister Dean Macpherson, the Nieuwmeester Dome will not be ready in time for the 2026 state of the nation address (Sona). Completion of the structure, intended to serve as a temporary chamber for the National Assembly, has now been postponed without a confirmed date of completion. National Assembly speaker Thoko Didiza was scheduled to receive the Dome from Macpherson on January 30.
Hours before the event, parliament issued a media advisory confirming that the ceremony would not proceed and a revised date would be communicated. As a result, the Sona will again be delivered at Cape Town City Hall, which has served as the venue since the destruction of the National Assembly precinct in the January 2022 fire. The Dome was originally procured in 2013 for the funeral of former president Nelson Mandela.
It was transported from Pretoria to Cape Town in 2024 to provide a short- to medium-term venue for plenary sittings while the National Assembly is rebuilt. First erected in January 2025, it was closed within two months after Cape winds tore its fabric and exposed the interior. The department of public works and infrastructure subsequently announced a major reinforcement project, including structural stiffening, acoustic improvements, and the installation of electricity and sewage connections.
Read Full Article on Business Day
[paywall]
Macpherson told the joint committee on financial management of parliament in September 2025 that refurbishment costs had been reduced to R31.7m, down from an earlier projection of R39m. “We have brought that amount down to R31.7m,” he said, noting that the department and parliament would co-share the expenditure. He further stated in December 2025: “We’ve appointed a contractor at a cost of R25m who is going to be completing the job.
We are going to meet the deadline before the state of the nation address.” The delays highlight the operational risks of relying on temporary infrastructure. The Dome was used for only two months in 2025 before closure, and its refurbishment has required extensive reinforcement after years in storage. Public works director-general Sifiso Mdakane was seconded to Cape Town to oversee daily progress, but despite this oversight, the project has not met its stated deadlines. The indefinite postponement of the handover underscores continuing uncertainty over when the National Assembly will regain a dedicated chamber.
[/paywall]
