Members of Parliament (MPs) in the National Council of Provinces (NCOP), Parliament's upper House, were sworn in on Thursday.

The NCOP consists of some 90 delegates and ensures that the interests of provinces are taken into account by national government.

Provincial legislatures appoint six permanent delegates to the NCOP and four special delegates, which includes the premiers of provinces.

Political parties represented in the legislatures form part of each provincial delegation, proportional to their representation in the province.

ANC MP Amos Masondo was elected chairperson of the NCOP, unopposed, shortly after the 54 permanent delegates to the NCOP were sworn in by chief justice Mogoeng Mogoeng.

Masondo was chairperson of Parliament's ethics committee up until recently. He also served as Johannesburg mayor for ten years between 2001 and 2011.

Former Northern Cape Premier Sylvia Lucas was elected, also unopposed, as Masondo's deputy in the NCOP chamber.