High tech house built on shifting political sands?

These (left and below) are artists impressions of how the newly revamped Eastern Cape legislature's main chamber will look when it is officially opened next year.

THE R33-million state-of-the-art Bhisho Legislature that will have the latest technology so allowing MPLs to play solitaire or obtain the latest cricket score during sessions will be officially opened when Premier Mbulelo Sogoni delivers his State of the Province address in February next year. Coincidentally the Provincial and Local Government department committee investigating among other things the future of the provinces and provincial legislatures will report at the same time and there appears to be a consensus emerging that the role of provinces will be downgraded.
That could result in functions such as primary health care and housing being devolved to local government level. The process will, however, be gradual and anyone betting on the seats on the provincial legislature gravy train being jettisoned is probably smoking the same substance as filtered into the Legislature on one occasion when Gugile Nkwinti was Speaker. On that occasion, two workers were sharing an, ahem, pick-me-up of the less than legal sort and the fumes appeared to have been sucked into the chamber by the airconditioning. Amazing how everyone there was able to identify that smell.

The new chamber (above) under construction last week and (below) as it was in the early days of Nosimo Balindlela's tenure.