Day: February 9, 2023

All eyes will be on President Cyril Ramaphosa this evening as he takes to the podium to outline government’s programme of action through his 2023 State of the Nation Address (SONA) at the Cape Town City Hall.

The Cape Town City Hall was declared a Parliamentary precinct from 1 to 23 February 2023, and all rules that apply to a Parliamentary precinct became effective.

In addition to the State of the Nation Address, the Hall will also host the two-day debate on the President’s address by the joint sitting of the Houses of Parliament, the reply to the debate by the President and the Budget Speech by the Minister of Finance on February 22.

SONA is an annual message delivered by the President of South Africa to a joint sitting of the two Houses of Parliament – the National Assembly (NA) and National Council of Provinces (NCOP).

The day brings together the three arms of the State: the executive, the judiciary and the legislature, which will play out their constitutional roles in full view of the nation.

With South Africa continuing to experience various stages of load shedding, South Africans will be waiting with bated breath to hear how the sixth administration plans to address the power crisis.

When he addresses the nation at 7pm, President Ramaphosa will address the current state of the political, social and economic landscape in South Africa, as well as government’s commitments and objectives for 2023.

SONA traditions and ceremony

Preparations are well underway for the most anticipated event in the political and parliamentary calendar – the joint sitting of the two Houses of Parliament.

Similar to last year, this year’s proceedings of SONA will follow the full ceremony format, which will also see ordinary citizens participate.

The 2023 SONA will be fully physical and all attendees, including Members of Parliament and invited guests, will be present in the Chamber and the public gallery.

Approximately 490 Members of Parliament, including 10 representatives of the South African Local Government Association (Salga), will be accommodated on the floor of the chamber, while 263 guests, constituted of representatives of various sectors of society, will be accommodated in the public gallery of the hall.

Proceedings in the Parliamentary precinct start at around 16.30. This will see members of the judiciary, Speakers of Provincial Legislatures, Premiers and diplomats arrive for the event.

Activities undertaken and observed during the full ceremony include the Flame Guard, the 21-gun salute, an aircraft flypast, the lining of the route, the Ceremonial Guard, the Salute of the Step Guard, the singing of the National Anthem, the full Military Band and the ceremonial processions of the Provincial Speakers, Premiers, the Judiciary, the Deputy President and the President.

Upon his arrival at the City Hall, President Ramaphosa will take a salute at the platform prepared in front of the statue of uTata Madiba, which is on the balcony of the City Hall.

Here, he will observe the singing of the National anthem by the South African National Defence Force Military Band, synchronised with the 21-gun salute and flypast.

The 21-gun salute has become the international norm for the highest honour a nation renders and it is fired in honour of the Head of State, the national flag, the Head of State of a foreign nation, a member of a reigning royal family and a former Head of State.

The President will then be ushered into the Chamber by an isiZulu praise singer, Msawenkosi Duma, from KwaZulu-Natal.

The role of the imbongi in the SONA programme has been an important feature of this key State event since 1994, and remains crucial to the celebration of the country’s cultural diversity and social cohesion.

Dignitaries who have confirmed attendance of the SONA include former President Thabo Mbeki; former Speaker of the National Assembly Baleka Mbete; Chief Justice Raymond Zondo; Deputy Chief Justice Mandisa Maya and the 15 Judges of the Constitutional Court, and the Pan African Parliament President, Senator Chief Fortune Charumbira, among others.

Where to watch

South Africans who will not be physically present as part of the event may follow the proceedings live on a wide range of media platforms, including Parliament’s own multimedia and television platforms, as well as mainstream media.

The Parliamentary Broadcast and Audio Visual Unit will provide a broadcast feed to all television stations that will be broadcasting from the precinct.

The Government Communication and Information System (GCIS) will provide an audio feed for all radio stations.

The address will also be streamed live on the Parliamentary website, Parliamentary television on DSTV channel 408, and Parliament’s YouTube channel.

Over 650 members of the media have been accredited to cover the event.

Source: South African Government News Agency

The Government Communication and Information System (GCIS), in partnership with the Passenger Rail Agency (Prasa), today encouraged train commuters at the Cape Town train station to listen to the State of the Nation Address (SONA) to be delivered by President Cyril Ramaphosa this evening.

Representatives from both entities arrived at the station very early in the morning and interacted with the commuters while distributing pamphlets on the State of the Nation Address.

On behalf of GCIS, Acting Director-General, Michael Currin, told commuters that it is important for citizens to listen to what the President will be saying during the State of the Nation Address, tonight.

“We have a lot to celebrate in terms of improved services. Today we are proud as there have been significant changes,” he said.

Currin said in the past people had a negative attitude towards government.

“People can now see changes. Many people’s lives have changed. Government is changing people’s lives,” he said.

On behalf of Prasa, Chairperson Leonard Ramatlakane used the opportunity to inform the commuters that the agency is working hard to improve its services.

“If there are no trains, it means no transport for our communities,” he said.

Ramatlakane said Prasa currently has 125 new trains and they are working towards having 600 new trains.

He said they are working towards building partnerships with communities.

“Trains are cheaper as compared to taxis. Most of us can afford it,” Siphamandla Kode, from Nyanga, told SAnews. He commutes daily to work using a train.

With regard to the State of the Nation Address, Kode said he will make time to listen to the President.

“It is important to know what are government’s plans and what to expect,” he said.

Echoing the same sentiments was Zitha, who said he always listens to the President when he delivers the State of the Nation Address.

“I’ll be home early so I can listen to the President’s speech. We need to know what are governments plans for this year,” he told SAnews.

Prasa is a public entity wholly-owned by Government which reports to the Minister of Transport.

The legal mandate directs Prasa to deliver commuter rail services in the Metropolitan areas of South Africa, long-distance (inter-city) rail and bus services within, to and from the borders of the Republic of South Africa.

All eyes will be on President Cyril Ramaphosa this evening as he takes to the podium to outline government’s programme of action through his 2023 State of the Nation Address (SONA) at the Cape Town City Hall.

SONA is an annual message delivered by the President of South Africa to a joint sitting of the two Houses of Parliament – the National Assembly (NA) and National Council of Provinces (NCOP).

With South Africa continuing to experience various stages of load shedding, South Africans will be waiting with bated breath to hear how the sixth administration plans to address the power crisis.

When he addresses the nation at 7pm, President Ramaphosa will address the current state of the political, social and economic landscape in South Africa, as well as government’s commitments and objectives for 2023.

Source: South African Government News Agency

Minister in the Presidency Mondli Gungubele says the sixth administration is continuing to work hard to rebuild a competent South African Revenue Service (SARS) and further capacitate the National Prosecuting Authority (NPA) to bring perpetrators of State capture and other forms of criminality to book.

The Minister was speaking on Wednesday at a media engagement evening on the eve of the State of the Nation Address (SONA).

“For about nine or ten years, this country was subjected to looting. SARS lost 50 chartered accountants and all of its units that were key were destroyed. SARS was one of the top four best performing State revenue institutions in the world. It was looted… and collapsed. Today SARS is one of the best up and coming institutions in the world because South Africans refused [to allow corruption].

“The National Prosecuting Authority was actually hollowed out, left to nothing. As we speak now, I cannot count the number of top criminal executives who are there, who were arrested and are now confronting prosecution to answer for themselves… whether political or private sector.

“SARS has risen and the NPA has risen again. As we speak now, no less than R12.9 billion has been frozen by the SIU [Special Investigating Unit]… No less than R8.6 billion has been returned to the State from the thieves. We continue to put before court a number of people who were responsible for this,” Gungubele said.

He reflected on the challenging journey that the country has taken from a colonialist and apartheid state to a democratic country.

“This country has gone through many challenges over the years. For more than 300 years, the majority of the people of this country were subjected to racial supremacy and reduced to nothing. But during that period, they were resilient, and they stood in 1994 and found their liberation. That was a major victory after 300 years.

“Nearly 60% to 70% of its people had no electricity. As we speak now, nearly 80% do have. The majority had no access to taps. A we speak now, nearly 90% do have,” the Minister said.

Although South Africa is going through a difficult period following democratisation, South Africans, Gungubele said, must come together and work with government to find and implement solutions to some of the challenges.

“We are going through one of the most difficult patches in our country with the energy crisis [and] challenges of unemployment, especially by young people. But we’ve got an option to cry and feel miserable or we’ve got an option to say, ‘this is our country, we will not allow it to go the direction that it may seem to be going’.

“The future of this country lies in the [non-racialism and unity] code… black and white conquering the world together. It’s only this code that can actually triumph and rescue this country.

“It’s only this code that can actually deal with the energy crisis. It’s only this code that can stop crime and ensure safety together. It is only this code that can make sure that our children live in a communally peaceful environment,” he said.

Source: South African Government News Agency

Police Minister General Bheki Cele has told law enforcement officials to make sure that they “enforce the law” without fear or favour, but within the confines of the Constitution, during and after the State of the Nation Address (SONA) this evening.

He was addressing a parade of law enforcement agencies – including the South African Police Service and the South African Defence Force – at Cape Castle ahead of President Cyril Ramaphosa’s address.

“[The] Commander-In-Chief of the South African forces is here to give the line to the nation tonight. Yours is to make sure that that happens with all necessity of respect and protection. That protection is for the inhabitants and the citizens of this land, including those that are visiting us today (sic).

“As you move around here, you are all over as the forces to look after the safety and the comfort of all people that are around this city, around this province, and around this country in this moment when the President gives us the guideline.

“You must make sure that anybody who chooses this day to get out of the way [and] break the law has chosen the wrong day,” he said.

Cele reminded the law enforcement officials that their duty to serve and protect those who live in South Africa continues “now, during and after the State of the Nation Address and many other days thereafter”.

“You must remember that their safety is not only when they enter these premises, when they enter this precinct. Wherever they are and wherever you are, you remain responsible for their safety.

“We will emphasise the point that women, children, the elderly and vulnerable [groups]… when they look at you, they must see the hope. Not only see the hope, but also receive the hope, receive the safety and they must feel that your presence is better [for] their safety,” he said.

Also at the parade, Minister of Defence and Military Veterans, Thandi Modise, laid out expectations for law enforcement ahead of SONA.

“We expect that you will do what you have to do to protect the country. If criminality happens and you close your eyes, you affect the country. When you affect the future of this country you contribute to the disintegration of the life we want for South Africans.

“In anticipation of whatever may happen today, you will remember all the laws. Members of the SA National Defence Force, you will… remember what you are taught in your code when you are deployed with the police.

“We expect you will keep within the prescripts of the military code and we expect that you will excel in doing whatever it is you have to protect the integrity of this country,” Modise said.

Source: South African Government News Agency

Parliamentary spokesperson, Moloto Mothapo, has clarified that the institution is spending more on this year’s State of the Nation Address (SONA) – to the tune of R8 million – because of the unavailability of the Parliamentary precinct.

This year’s SONA will be held at the Cape Town City Hall, for the second time in a row, owing to a fire that gutted Parliament’s Old Assembly Chamber and the National Assembly Chamber, where SONA is usually held (with these buildings also hosting critical offices of Parliament).

The 2022 blaze continued for at least three days, rendering the precinct unavailable for use.

“We are forced, as Parliament, to pay more than we would have paid if we were still in the precinct of Parliament. The things that we have to pay for, previously we did not have to pay for.

“Things like broadcasting facilities, live transmission to the various television stations in the country – in order to reach and to involve South Africans in the business of Parliament – the conferencing facilities… those are the things we did not have to pay for but here [at the Cape Town City Hall], we have to pay,” Mothapo said.

He emphasised that Parliament chose competitive pricing in order to hire the facilities and equipment it uses, not only for SONA but also for the upcoming SONA Debate, the President’s Reply, which will be followed by, later this month, the Finance Minister’s Budget Speech.

The City Hall facilities were also used in a joint sitting of the two Houses of Parliament to honour Founding Speaker, Dr Frene Ginwala, who passed away last month.

Regarding the price Parliament has to pay for use of facilities outside of the traditional precinct, Mothapo said: “That is the market price. [We have followed a] competitive process to compare prices and to go for the best available price in the market. To hire those [facilities is] the greatest key cost driver and I think that will account for 90% of the cost of the State of the Nation Address,” he said on Thursday.

Mothapo explained that Parliament has a Constitutional obligation to ensure that South Africans are not left out of the SONA and other Parliamentary activities.

“We are obligated, under the Constitution, to ensure public involvement, to ensure that the public participates in what is happening in Parliament. The Constitution, in terms of participatory democracy, public involvement, public participation… [obliges us] to ensure that we are open, we are transparent and we are involving all South Africans in the work of the institution,” he said.

Source: South African Government News Agency