Pretoria: The Cabinet Lekgotla is scheduled to take place on 29 and 30 January 2025 at the Sefako Makgatho Presidential Guest House in Pretoria. President Cyril Ramaphosa will convene the meeting, expected to be attended by leadership structures representing all spheres of government. The outcomes of the meeting will set the direction for the year, which will be announced by the President during his State of the Nation Address (SONA).
According to South African Government News Agency, this year’s SONA will be held on Thursday, 6 February 2025, at 19:00. President Ramaphosa has requested the Speaker of the National Assembly, Thoko Didiza, and the Chairperson of the National Council of Provinces, Refilwe Mtshweni-Tsipane, to convene a Joint Sitting of Parliament on this date. This session, to be held at the Cape Town City Hall, will see the President delivering the first State of the Nation Address of the seventh democratic Parliament.
President Ramaphosa calls for this joint sitting in accordance with Section 84(2)(d) of the Constitution and Rule 13(1)(a) of the Joint Rules of Parliament. The Constitution mandates the President to summon the National Assembly, the National Council of Provinces, or Parliament to an extraordinary sitting for special business.
During the SONA, the President will highlight achievements, flag challenges, and outline interventions for the coming financial year. The address marks the official start of the parliamentary programme and sets out the government’s key policy objectives and deliverables for the year ahead, as stated by Parliament.
SONA 2025 will be broadcast live on Parliament TV on DSTV Channel 408 and on Parliament’s YouTube Channel. Further details are available at https://www.stateofthenation.gov.za/.