Big upgrade set for Bhisho legislature
THE Bhisho legislature is set to receive an upgrade to the Raymond Mhlaba Chamber and its information and communications technology (ICT) system.
The institution this week issued an external advertisement calling for suitable service providers to bid for the multimillion-rand project to again upgrade the facility.
This follows renovations totalling R42.3-million in 2008, with R37.5-million of that used for a major facelift of the assembly chamber.
Five years later, in 2013, an amount of R13.8-million was spent on interior renovations that included upgrading toilets, replacing floor tiles, ceilings, lighting in the corridors and on carpets in the entire legislature corridors, including the chamber.
The house also had its airconditioning equipment and security system repaired and upgraded, while the entire interior was repainted.
There was also a major R10-million facelift done to the legislature’s exterior and grounds adjacent to the Raymond Mhlaba Chamber, a project completed in 2013 as part of the Bhisho revitalisation programme.
During the 2008 chamber makeover, up-to-date high technology equipment was installed, together with desktop computers for all MPLs inside the chamber.
Yesterday, a group of about 10 interested services providers attended a tender briefing at the institution’s Magdalene Resha boardroom where they were briefed about specifications needed for the tender, closing on December 4. The appointed service provider will also be required to provide maintenance and five engineers for a period of three years.
The UDM and DA welcomed the upgrade of the ICT system.
UDM MPL Thando Mpulu said the current ICT system at the chamber was “dormant” and “very useless”.
“As UDM we want the institution to do away with using paper for the environmental sake and cost-cutting measures, and we believe that the new ICT system is going to talk to that.”
DA MPL Bobby Stevenson echoed those sentiments about the current ICT system being “problematic”.
“If we are to move to a paperless legislature, we definitely need this upgrade. In principle we support such a move as the current system was inefficient,” he said.
Legislature’s acting spokesman Velisile Bukula yesterday said the makeover was informed by the audit of the chamber equipment that was conducted last year.
Bukula said: “An audit revealed that some of the equipment at the chamber was old and obsolete. The software no longer meets the user requirements and due to that effect, enormous challenges have been experienced during the sittings at the chamber.” — asandan@