The Speaker of the National Assembly, Ms Thoko Didiza, and the Chairperson of the National Council of Provinces, Ms Refilwe Mtsweni-Tsipane, briefed the media today on Parliament’s state of readiness to host tomorrow evening’s State of the Nation Address (SONA), the first to be hosted by the 7th Parliament.
After months of careful planning, Ms Didiza assured the gathered media representatives and the nation that it’s all systems go for SONA 2025. Parliament is ready, she assured her listeners, to host the event in a fitting manner, one that reflects the evening’s role in setting the political tone for the year ahead and shaping national discourse.
Ms Didiza pointed out that the President’s address to the nation is an opportunity for him to set the government’s agenda for the year and provide an update on progress achieved in meeting its commitments. “As such, SONA signifies the highest level of accountability to citizens by providing updates on the government’s programmes, developments in legislation and policies, profiling targets and a programme of action for the new financial year,” she said.
From a parliamentary perspective, SONA 2025 takes place in the same year that the South African Parliament is to host of the G20 Parliamentary Summit. The summit is an opportunity for the parliamentarians of the various participating nation states, Ms Didiza said, “to deepen the call for solidarity, equality and sustainability in the world. The theme is also a testament to the 7th Parliament’s commitment to promote a transformed and inclusive society underscored by collaborative approaches to address global challenges, thus advancing shared prosperity.” With this in mind, the theme for this year’s SONA is “Harnessing Parliamentary Diplomacy for Realisation of Global Solidarity, Equality and Sustainability.”
The Cape Town City Hall will once again be the venue for SONA, which will include a 21-gun salute, aircraft exhibition, a ceremonial guard, the step guard salute, the singing of the national anthem, a full military band, and processions involving provincial Speakers, Premiers, the judiciary, the Deputy President and the President.
Meanwhile, given the sensitivity surrounding the deaths of South African Defence Force (SANDF) soldiers in the Democratic Republic of Congo recently, Ms Didiza noted, there have been calls to scale down the army’s participation this year in tribute to the fallen soldiers. However, this will be determined by the SANDF, she said.
She also called on the media to play its part in ensuring that South African citizens receive factual and unbiased coverage of the event. To accentuate the critical role of media in this regard, she stated that more media houses have applied for accreditation in 2025 than in previous years. “This year, we received 1 076 accreditation applications from local and international media, reflecting a 9.68% increase from last year,” Ms Didiza said.
In keeping with the representative nature of our country’s parliament democracy, Ms Didiza reiterated the importance of putting the public at the centre of all parliamentary proceedings. This is foregrounded, as is usual at this event, with invitations issued to eminent persons to attend the event as Parliament’s guests of honour. These distinguished South Africans have achieved outstanding success in their fields or have been otherwise recognised for their contributions to society. Provincial Speakers nominate them to be guests of Parliament for the day.
To promote civil awareness among the South African youth, this year’s SONA will also comprise a junior guard of honour made up of 100 learners from four Western Cape schools, selected in collaboration with the Western Cape Department of Education. The involvement of young learners is crucial in educating and exposing them to the workings, roles and functions of state institutions, helping to shape them as the leaders of tomorrow.
As in previous years, said the Chairperson of the NCOP, Ms Mtsweni-Tsipane, the President will be ushered into the National Assembly by this year’s Xhosa-speaking praise poet, Ms Inako Mateza, a 24-year-old cultural ambassador and storyteller.
Furthermore, the Chairperson said, SONA is an opportunity to promote South African fashion and Members of Parliament have been called upon to wear locally made outfits to showcase the skills of local designers. Ms Mstweni-Tsipane also mentioned the significant economic contribution SONA makes to the economy of the Western Cape tourism and hospitality industries.
In her concluding remarks, Ms Mstweni-Tsipane called on all South Africans to actively participate in SONA by tuning in and sharing their views on the various communication platforms provided by Parliament, the government and the mainstream media.
SONA will be broadcast live on radio and TV and will be streamed live on Parliament’s website, the DStv channel (408), and its YouTube channel.
Abel Mputing
5 February 2025
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