Finance Minister Pravin Gordhan will present the National Budget to Parliament on 24 February 2016.
Lock-ups have been arranged for journalists in Cape Town and Pretoria, allowing access to the Budget documents prior to the Minister’s address in Parliament. The information contained in the documents will be under embargo until Minister Gordhan tables the budget in Parliament.
The Twitter handle for the Budget is: @BUDGET2016 Please find details for the lockups below:
Cape Town Lock up:
Address:100 Plein Street Building for PGA journalists
Imbizo Media Centre, 120 Plein Street, for non PGA members
Time: 06:00
Journalists attending the Cape Town lock up must send their details to Zwikhodo Singo (zwikhodo.singo@treasury.gov.za) by no later than 17 February 2016.
Instructions
- Please indicate your name, media organisation and ID number.
- Please indicate whether you will be based at the PGA building or Imbizo Centre.
- It is imperative that you RSVP by closing date so accreditation can be arranged.
- No prior accreditation no entry to lock-up
- It will assist us if one person can send a consolidated list of journalists attending from one media organisation.
- If your media house has an office in parliament you are expected to work from there as there is limited space at the Imbizo Centre.
- Registration at PGA and Imbizo Centre will open at 6:00 and close at 08:00.
- If your media house has an office in parliament you are expected to work from there as there is limited space at the Imbizo Centre.
- Journalists working in the Imbizo Centre will need to vacate the room shortly after the embargo has been lifted.
Pretoria lock-up:
Address: 40 Church Square, Pretoria CBD
Time: 07:00
Journalists must send their details to Oscar Selebogo (xolisa.dodo@treasury.gov.za) by no later than 17 February 2016
Instructions:
- There is a limited number of PCs that are available on first-come basis, so you need to bring own laptop
- Indicate on your reply if you will bring own laptop or you will use provided PC.
- It is imperative that you RSVP by closing date so accreditation can be arranged.
- There will be no parking arranged; you may want to use the Gautrain.
- The Gautrain bus takes Bosman Street. You get off at Cnr Bosman & Madiba Street.
- There is limited space at the Pretoria Lockup, therefore we will cut off RSVPs when we have reached capacity
Lock-up rules
- No communication by journalists is allowed during the lock-up, including by telephone, e-mail or any other means. We therefore recommend that Parliament-based journalists who will not be working on the Budget work from elsewhere.
- All office doors (at PGA building) are to remain open at all times.
- Stories can be transmitted to editors ONLY from 13:00 (with full observation of the embargo).
- Cellphones must be switched off, placed in an envelope and handed over to National Treasury officials.
- E-mails cannot be sent during the lock-up and landline phones must be off the hook and should not be used under any circumstances.
- You are not allowed to use any device that can transmit information.
- Nobody will be allowed to leave the lock-up before the embargo is lifted. The embargo will be lifted when Minister says in Parliament, “I hereby table…”
- A ministerial media conference is scheduled for 10:30 (Imbizo media centre, 120 Plein Street, Cape Town). There will be a video link-up with Pretoria. Journalists will be escorted to the venue.
- For access to Parliament for the speech and to broadcast from the Parliamentary precinct please send your details to nmagwagwa@parliament.gov.za and CC mkabeli@parliament.gov.za
- National Treasury officials will be available in case of any emergencies.
Refreshments will be served at 08:30 and 12:30. The lock-up will end when Finance Minister Pravin Gordhan tables the Budget in Parliament.
All documentation will be available on www.treasury.gov.za
