Local designers honoured in Parliament

Tuesday morning, 27 March 2007, will mark the unveiling of the new emblem for the South African Parliament in a joint sitting that will honour the creative collaboration of all who participated in the democratic call for a new design embodying the vision, mission and values of Parliament.

17 Mar 2007

The current Parliament emblem dates back to 1910 and still represents the old four provinces of South Africa. The launch of the new one is the first step in communicating the positioning of Parliament to the public.

Among the VIP guests at the event will be the 20 designers who were chosen to represent all South Africans at a four-day design workshop during which the new emblem was designed. During the intensive workshop, experts from the branding and design industry directed them in their designs.

The designs were further refined by the Department of Heraldry to ensure heraldic and design specifications were adhered to. A political steering committee and a panel of experts guided the process internally.

“We are extremely pleased and proud of the work that these artists produced for the new emblem of Parliament. When we (the political steering committee) met with them at the design workshop, we knew that we were dealing with a group of very special South Africans, who not only took pride in their craft but also in their country,” says deputy speaker of the National Assembly, Gwen Mahlangu-Nkabinde.

The 20 designers are:

Western Cape