As the excitement of South Africa’s fourth democratic election fades to a memory, newly elected MPs will focus their attention on the next phase of the process — taking up their seats in Parliament.
The new Parliament is set to convene on May 6 for the 400 National Assembly MPs to be sworn in with Chief Justice Pius Langa presiding.
As in the past, MPs are expected to be inducted in batches of 10, and take the oath in their language of choice.
They will then elect a new Speaker, who will in turn preside over the election of a Deputy Speaker.
It is expected that President Kgalema Motlanthe, who remains president until the new president is sworn in, will attend the ceremony.
The Assembly will then likely adjourn for lunch, but reconvene afterwards to elect, again with Langa presiding, a new president — by all indications certain to be African National Congress president Jacob Zuma.
Party leaders will then have an opportunity to make short speeches, and the new president will also address the House.
The nine provincial legislatures will also convene on May 6 for MPLs to be sworn in and for them in turn to elect the new premiers and permanent delegates to the National Council of Provinces.
Senior judges will preside over the ceremonies.
Permanent delegates to the NCOP will be sworn in on May 7, and MPs will then travel to Pretoria for Zuma’s inauguration at the Union Buildings on May 9. Langa will again preside.
Zuma is expected to announce his Cabinet during the following week.
Parliament will convene with a joint sitting of the Assembly and NCOP on June 3 for Zuma’s state of the nation address.
The traditional debate on his address will be held on June 4 and he will reply to the debate on June 5.
Both Houses will then adjourn and are expected to reconvene on June 9 to deal with the budget, legislation, and other business.
The session is expected to run until about July 10, followed by the winter recess.
Further sittings are expected later in the year. — Sapa