On Thursday, 6 February, President Cyril Ramaphosa will deliver his first State of the Nation Address (SONA 2025) since the establishment of the 7th Parliament. SONA 2025 will be held under the theme: “Harnessing Parliamentary Diplomacy for the Realization of Global Solidarity, Equality, and Sustainability.”
This theme encapsulates the transformational potential of parliamentary efforts in promoting inclusive, sustainable, and collaborative approaches to global challenges, thereby advancing shared prosperity. It was conceptualized to align with South Africa's rotational hosting of the G20 in 2025 and Parliament’s hosting of the Speakers' Summits (P20) of the G20 national parliaments. These P20 Summits play a crucial role in injecting a parliamentary perspective into global governance, raising awareness, building political support for international commitments, and ensuring effective implementation at the national level.
It is critical that we reinforce the sense of urgency that the South African Parliament and the broader African legislative sector possess. We must send a strong message that Africa is not merely a passive “field of action” but an equal, proactive, and prominent player in global governance and public discourse.
Towards the Next 30 Years of Democracy
As we reflect on the past 30 years of democracy, it is essential to celebrate our achievements, address areas of concern, and renew our commitment to fulfilling the aspirations of our citizens.
South Africa has made significant progress over the past three decades. The living conditions of millions of ordinary people have notably improved. Our Constitution remains a robust framework for an inclusive society, founded on values such as human dignity, freedom, non-racialism, non-sexism, the rule of law, and respect for national sovereignty.
Within this context, Parliament serves as a vital representation of the people, ensuring their participation in government processes and providing a platform for the representation of provincial and local interests. Since the advent of democracy, Parliament has played a pivotal role in repealing apartheid-era laws and enacting progressive legislation that aligns with the principles enshrined in the Constitution.
Despite the progress achieved, there remains an urgent need for Parliament to act decisively in fulfilling its constitutional mandate of reinvigorating economic growth, creating employment, and addressing a broad spectrum of socio-economic challenges. As we embark on the 31st year of our democracy, Parliament must leverage all available resources and opportunities, including international engagements, to build consensus and advance solutions to these challenges. The presidency of the Group of Twenty (G20) presents an unparalleled opportunity to achieve this.
The Role of SONA in Accountability
SONA represents the highest level of executive accountability within South Africa’s constitutional democracy. Through SONA, Parliament fosters government transparency and oversight, uniting the nation across all divides and holding the executive accountable for realizing citizens' aspirations for a better life.
Parliament’s oversight agenda is guided by the policy priorities announced by the President during the opening of Parliament. This year’s SONA will take on added significance as it officially launches Parliament’s oversight role in the implementation of G20 decisions. South Africa’s G20 presidency prioritizes addressing pressing domestic challenges, including slow economic growth, unemployment, poverty, and inequality. It offers a unique opportunity to align international priorities with local legislative actions, enabling a coherent and coordinated approach to shared challenges.
As such, SONA 2025 must spotlight South Africa’s commitment to fostering dialogue on critical issues such as trade, technology, governance accountability, and the synchronization of global and local efforts to address national challenges through international collaboration.
P20 Activities and Africa’s Role in the G20
On 1 December 2024, South Africa officially assumed the G20 presidency. This milestone brings with it the expectation that the South African Parliament will actively contribute to advancing the high-level priorities identified for the presidency: inclusive economic growth and industrialization, employment, food security, and artificial intelligence and innovation for sustainable development.
South Africa’s G20 presidency offers immense potential for the country and the continent, providing a platform to advocate for equitable debt treatment, financial reforms tailored to Africa’s unique needs, and sustainable development initiatives. These efforts are crucial in light of Africa’s disproportionate vulnerability to climate change, despite contributing minimally to global emissions. Addressing climate challenges like floods and wildfires must be prioritized at global forums such as the G20.
Parliament will also champion initiatives to combat illicit financial flows and unsustainably high lending rates, which hinder Africa’s economic progress. Resolving these issues could unlock vital resources for developmental projects aligned with the UN Sustainable Development Goals.
In addition to hosting G20-related events and activities, including the P20 Speakers' Summit, Parliament will organize broader legislative sector colloquia and symposiums for African Speakers of Parliament. These efforts aim to foster structured and strategic conversations about the role of parliaments in promoting solidarity, equality, and sustainability, while also ensuring African perspectives are reflected in the 2025 G20 decisions and Leaders’ Declaration.
Public Participation and Accessibility
Public participation is not merely an ancillary activity for Parliament—it is a constitutional imperative and one of the institution’s core responsibilities. It is through this principle that Parliament ensures that South Africans are not only informed about the decisions that affect them but are active contributors to shaping those decisions. This principle becomes even more critical as South Africa assumes the presidency of the G20 and its Parliament takes on a pivotal role in overseeing and amplifying the outcomes of this global forum.
The G20, while representing the world’s most powerful economies, has often faced criticism for being removed from the concerns of ordinary citizens and for limited transparency in its decision-making processes. Parliament, through the P20, plays an essential role in bridging this gap by embedding the voices of citizens into the international policymaking process. By hosting the P20 and related activities, the South African Parliament provides an unprecedented platform for inclusive dialogue, ensuring that the priorities and lived realities of the people are reflected in global discussions and outcomes.
As the conduit between the executive and the public, Parliament will hold robust engagements to deliberate on the implementation of South Africa’s G20 outcomes. This includes facilitating discussions with civil society, labor unions, business leaders, youth representatives, and other stakeholders to ensure that the commitments made at the G20 translate into meaningful and tangible benefits for South Africans. These engagements are not limited to high-level dialogues but extend to grassroots platforms, where citizens are empowered to contribute their perspectives on the socio-economic issues affecting their lives.
Parliament’s oversight role over South Africa’s G20 presidency is equally critical. It is not enough to participate in global governance structures; there must be rigorous scrutiny of the commitments made and their alignment with the country’s developmental priorities. Parliament will actively monitor the executive’s implementation of G20 decisions, ensuring that they address key challenges such as unemployment, inequality, food insecurity, and climate change. Oversight mechanisms such as committee inquiries, progress reports, and debates will hold the government accountable for delivering on these commitments.
Arrange a tour