Cape Town: With less than a day until President Cyril Ramaphosa delivers the State of the Nation Address (SONA) in Cape Town, attendees of the joint sitting of Parliament can expect fine weather conditions. ‘We are expecting fine weather conditions with a minimum of 17°C and a maximum of 24°C. For the Western Cape, there will be a 30% chance of showers and rain along the south coast but it will be a fine day with no precipitation in Cape Town,’ South African Weather Service (SAWS) Meteorologist and Forecaster Lehlohonolo Thobela told SAnews on Wednesday.
According to South African Government News Agency, the joint sitting will see attendees, including Members of Parliament (MPs) and invited guests, walking the red carpet ahead of the President’s speech. Winds can be expected on the southerly to south easterly direction at between 10 and 20 kilometres per hour (km/h). If there are any gusts, this will be at about 60 km/h. Around the coastal areas between Cape Agulhas and Cape Columbine, there could be damaging winds and waves. These conditions could result in difficulty in navigation at sea.
The President will address the nation on Thursday, 6 February, at 7 pm, at the Cape Town City Hall. SONA is convened by the President in terms of the Constitution to provide the nation with an update on government’s commitments and programme of action for the new financial year. It is a joint sitting of the National Assembly (NA) and the National Council of Provinces (NCOP), presided over by the Speaker of the National Assembly and the Chairperson of the NCOP. The President’s address is the sole item on the agenda. This will be the first SONA of the seventh administration.