Official Opening and SOPA - A day to remember

The Official Opening of the Fifth Parliament of the Western Cape took place on Friday, 20 June 2014. The event was attended by approximately 250 guests, including members of the Consular Corps, religious leaders, as well as municipal speakers and mayors. The Groote Schuur Hospital choir welcomed guests with song as they arrived (see photo). Premier Helen Zille delivered her State of the Province address during the sitting. Some of the areas covered in her address included: job creation with focus on the tourism, aquaculture, oil and gas, renewable energy and agricultural sectors, economic development (including the Western Cape broadband project), local government, crime prevention, health, education and youth development, community policing and safety, and housing. After the adjournment of the House, Speaker Sharna Fernandez hosted a finger luncheon for all the Members and guests. While the opening and State of the Province address are both important events on the parliamentary calendar, the occasion is low-key and arranged in such a manner as to cause no inconvenience to the residents of Cape Town.