Centurion ‘right place for parly’
IT’S CLOSER TO HIGHWAY, AIRPORT AND HOTELS DA says with the current fiscal climate, MPs need to think carefully about move.
Centurion would be the best area to house the country’s parliament because it is easily accessible, said MTO Town Planners director Mauritz Oosthuizen.
Oosthuizen was reacting to the announcement by Speaker Baleka Mbete who told members of parliament that a service provider had been appointed to conduct a feasibility study on moving the national legislature to Pretoria.
Mbete said Pamoja (PTY) Limited had also been appointed to conduct a six-month socioeconomic and impact study starting this month.
Oosthuizen said when parliament considers the move to the capital city, government first needs to identify vacant land should they want to erect a new building. “Alternatively, an old government building could be renovated and refurbished. However, Centurion would be the best place if there is available land.”
He said Centurion was close to the N1 highway and is in close proximity of the Waterkloof Air Force Base, various hotels and restaurants. “If government’s plan of building a convention centre does not pan out, Centurion is a great place to erect parliament.”
Tshwane mayor Solly Msimanga said it would be premature for him to comment on a feasibility study of moving parliament.
He said according to Section 42(6) of the constitution, this determination rests with parliament. “Nevertheless, I think it would be an expensive exercise given the fiscal climate in which the country finds itself.
“But ultimately this decision rests squarely with parliament and whatever the national legislature decides following an exhaustive feasibility study, we will enter into engagements at that point.”
Real estate experts said if parliament moved to Pretoria, there will be a high demand of property and prices might rise.
One expert said it will be of great benefit to the property market as a whole, depending on where parliament would relocate to, Pretoria or Centurion. Another said with any new and big development, comes a rise in prices of other developments like in the case of Menlyn Maine Casino.
DA chief whip John Steenhuisen said the budget for moving parliament would run into billions.
This is not the first proposal to relocate the National Assembly from Cape Town to Pretoria. It was first communicated in 1995, but was shelved after strong opposition from the governing ANC in the Western Cape. –