The Presidential Years

You are quoted as saying President and certain ministers support Pretoria in its bid to be the seat of Parliament…The President wishes to make it clear that he has no preference regarding the location of Parliament. President Mandela has also made it clear to all Minsters in government that none of them should be associated with any of the bids …Cabinet has set in motion a process through which the government and parliament shall be provided with the necessary information required for a sensible decision…The question should not be handled in a manner that sets provinces and cities against one another. The president’s preferred route is that a mechanism should be found to ensure that all South Africans, irrespective of their province, rationally exchange views of this sensitive matter, with the aim of reaching consensus.

Joel Netshitenzhe to Chair, ExCo, Pretoria Metro Council