Selection to be an eminent person at the State of the Nation Address (Sona) is a great honour and memorable experience, that’s what the eminent persons who came from the nine provinces said when they were interviewed by Parliamentary Communication Officers at parliament before the delivery of the 2018 Sona.
Expressing her excitement about being at Parliament at the time of the delivery of the State of the Nation Address, Ms Lucinda Evans of the Western Cape said she thanked the Speaker of the Western Cape Legislature for selecting her among the people of the Western Cape who made, and are still making great contributions in the ongoing struggle of making the lives of ordinary people of the Western Cape better. “I feel deeply humbled and honoured by my nomination” she said
Above all, Ms Evans said as a Khoisan woman she was very happy to realise that Khoisan people are recognised as she also took her nomination as a gesture of recognition of Khoisan people. “When I got the news of my selection as an eminent person to represent the Western Cape, I immediately thought that Khoisan people are also taken serious and their contributions in the broader project of making better life for all South Africans is noted” she said
Asked about her expectations from the address of the brand new President of South Africa, Ms Evans said all the historically disadvantaged people of South Africa have a common expectation from the new President, to ensure that their worsening living conditions are improved. “In the Cape Flats where I live, we want the President to come to see the appalling conditions in which we live and ensure that he has a plan of turning those conditions around” said Ms Evans
Eminent persons are South Africans who have achieved outstanding results in their respective fields or who have been otherwise recognised for their contribution to society. They are nominated by their provincial Speakers to be the guests of Parliament for the State of the Nation Address event. They line up towards the National Assembly and conclude the public participation part of the ceremonies.
Like in the previous Sonas, Parliament is hosting nine eminent persons who are representing their provinces.
By Mava Lukani
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