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UNION INTERPARLEMENTAIRE
INTER-PARLIAMENTARY UNION
Association of Secretaries General of Parliaments
COMMUNICATION
from
MR MOHAMED KAMAL MANSURA
Secretary General of the National Assembly of South Africa
on
THE CORRIDORS OF PARLIAMENT: A RECORD OF PARLIAMENTARY HISTORY OR A
REFLECTION OF ITS PEOPLE
Bangkok Session
March/April 2010
In addressing the question posed by the title of this paper I will start with an overview of what has
been displayed on the walls of our Parliament since 1994.
When the newly elected Members of the South African Parliament entered the Houses of
Parliament in Cape Town after the first democratic elections in April 1994, they were surrounded by
what they regarded as images of the apartheid era that depicted the very persons which brought
hardship and suffering on the oppressed people.
Paintings of Speakers, Prime Ministers and State Presidents from previous governments hung in
the lobby of the Assembly, portraits in bronze and marble were displayed in the Senate wing of the
building and the large oil paintings recording two major changes in South African history - the
Union government of 1910 (Union) and the Republic government of 1961 - hung in the Members
Dining Room.
It was only two years later, in 1996, that these were removed after careful consideration. In 1995
the then Speaker Ginwala reported to the Joint Rules Committee that the Minister of Arts and
Culture and a delegation of the Ministry had requested a meeting with her in which they indicated
that Parliament should be a catalyst for change in South Africa, and displays in Parliament should
reflect the demographic composition of South Africa. The Joint Rules Committee agreed with the
proposal.
The reason given for the removal of the artworks was to make place for the Art against Apartheid
collection. This collection had been supported by the United Nations and its Special Committee
against Apartheid, UNESCO and the governments of Finland, Sweden and Norway and had been
exhibited in Paris in 1983. It consists of over 100 works by 78 artists whose dream was that it
“would one day be given as a gift to the first democratic government of South Africa.” The display
of these works in the prestigious venue of Parliament more than fulfilled this dream. Originally
meant to hang for six months, the collection hung for three years until February 1999. What is
interesting, is that this is a contemporary ART collection by international artists with only one South
African, exiled artist Gavin Jantjes, among them. It does not deal with parliamentary history nor is it
a direct reflection of the South African people, but demonstrates a collective stand by artists. This
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event opened the walls of Parliament to a number of possibilities. The Art against Apartheid
exhibition was replaced with a temporary exhibition of artworks belonging to the South African
National Gallery.
In the year 2000 the Lending Committee on Artworks of Parliament was established and among its
various mandates was one that required it to consider “what art should be on display in
Parliament.” Yet, the walls remained empty for a number of years with only short exhibitions
commemorating key events from the struggle years, such as the 1976 Soweto Uprising and the
1956 Women’s March.
No programme was set up to continue the tradition of painted portraits of Speakers and individuals
who had played a key role in parliamentary structures. Speaker Ginwala famously remarked that
she would not be “a hung Speaker”.
Over the years photographs were hung in offices and large colour photographs of events of
Parliament were displayed in the corridors and lobbies to record significant events such as the tenyear celebration of the launch of the New Constitution in 2006 and Parliament’s meeting in
Kliptown in 2005 to commemorate the adoption of the Freedom Charter in 1955.
Two years ago it was decided to document, by way of photographs, the women who had achieved
success in Parliament and who had played a role in effecting change. This display is still on our
walls. This collection represents the importance of gender in a democratic South Africa and
addresses the absences of women in the pictorial record of the past.
One work on permanent display that consciously set out to reflect the people is the Keiskamma
Tapestry. It was made by 100 women. It tells, through embroidery, a history of South Africa starting
with the earliest recorded inhabitants, the San, and ends with the democratic elections in 1994. It is
made in a style associated with traditional blankets from the Eastern Cape where it was made. The
story of conflict and ultimate resolution that evolves over the 120 metres of the tapestry is the
South African story as told by the working people.
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This overview provides some idea of what has been happening on the walls of Parliament since
1994. Different visual responses are displayed to reflect the different needs of Parliament at
particular times. This year, for example, the life of former President Nelson Mandela will be
celebrated to mark the 20 years since his release from prison.
Our Parliament has thus far chosen to reflect the ordinary people rather than the leaders of
Parliament and Government. How this will change when there is again a call for the walls of
Parliament to record history is in the unpredictable future.
M K MANSURA
SECRETARY TO THE NATIONAL ASSEMBLY
PARLIAMENT OF THE REPUBLIC OF SOUTH AFRICA
I wish to acknowledge the contribution of Dr Rayda Bekker and Ms Lila Komnick from the Artswork
Section of our Parliament for the development of this paper and for the visuals that will be used
during its presentation.
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