• Yesterday, the Presiding Officers received a final briefing about Parliament’s preparations to host the 2021 State of the Nation Address (SONA) from the institution’s SONA Project Team. We are confident that all will proceed smoothly tomorrow for the hosting of the first ever Hybrid State of the Nation Address.

  • Tomorrow’s address to the two Houses of Parliament by President Cyril Ramaphosa takes place on the 31st anniversary of former President Nelson Mandela’s release from prison. That Sunday in 1990 was a watershed in our struggle for a democratic, non-racial, non-sexist South Africa, founded on supremacy of the Constitution and the rule of law.

  • The 2021 SONA, scheduled for 7pm, comes at time of great anxiety and hardship, as South Africa and the world fights the deadly COVID-19. The address is an opportunity for the President to speak to the nation about a variety of domestic and global issues. It’s also an opportunity to update the nation on progress with government’s existing commitments and key plans for the year ahead.

  • Measures are in place to ensure wide public access to the SONA, while observing necessary COVID-19 protocols.

  • The sitting will be hybrid, with limited numbers of Members of Parliament (MPs), distinguished guests and media in the National Assembly (NA) Chamber and others linking up through virtual platforms.

  • A total of 29 Members of Parliament (30 including the President) representing the two Houses from various parliamentary political parties will be physically in the NA Chamber. They are from the ANC (14), DA (5), IFP (1), FF+ (1), ACDP (1), GOOD (1), Cope (1), NFP (1), ATM (1), AIC (1), PAC (1) and Aljamah-ah (1).

  • The President will also be in the NA Chamber when he delivers the address. Also present in the NA Chamber will be Deputy President Mr David Mabuza. Deputy Chief Justice Raymond Zondo and Justice of the Supreme Court of Appeal, Justice Dumisani H Zondi will represent the judiciary in the Chamber while the Dean of the resident Diplomatic Corps, Ambassador Bene L M’Poko, will represent ambassadors.

  • All other MP’s will connect through a virtual platform.

  • Various categories of guests, including members of the public, who cannot be accommodated in the Chamber or precinct will link up through a webinar that has a capacity for 1 000 guests. The platform will be non-interactive, with no chat capabilities.

  • Invited guests include former Presidents and Deputy Presidents of South Africa, former Presiding Officers of the Parliament of South Africa, the diplomatic corps, the Pan African Parliament President, the President of the Southern African Development Community Parliamentary Forum, the Chairperson of the African Union Commission, guests of the President, representatives of civil society, faith-based, statutory and constitutional institutions.

  • Former President Mr Thabo Mbeki, former Deputy President Ms Phumzile Mlambo-Ngcuka, former National Assembly Speaker Ms Baleka Mbete and former National Council of Provinces (NCOP) Chairperson Mr Mninwa Mahlangu have all registered for the webinar.

  • The public will be able to follow the SONA live. Parliament received 435 applications from media wishing to cover proceedings. They include national broadcasters, who will cover proceedings live, as will Parliament TV on DSTV Channel 408 and on social media, such as, YouTube. Parliament will also provide live video and audio feed to broadcasters.

  • Following discussions with the media to ensure the event is covered strictly in line with the COVID-19 regulations, only 20 media representatives of the 435 have been accredited to be physically present at Parliament. Only seven of these journalists will be in the media gallery in the NA Chamber. The rest of the media will follow the event on the virtual platform, Parliament TV channel, YouTube livestreaming, major television channels and community radio stations.

  • Parliament’s theme for this address remains: “Following up on our commitments – making your future work better.” This highlights our character as a people’s Parliament, committed to strengthening transparency, accountability and responsiveness to the needs of the people – to ensure a truly non-racial, non-sexist and thriving South Africa.

  • Preceding the President’s delivery of the SONA will be a candle lighting ceremony, led by the President of the Republic and the Presiding Officers of Parliament. The ceremony is being held in honour and remembrance of South Africans who lost their lives during the COVID-19 pandemic.

  • Part of this solemn ceremony will be rendition of a poem by talented poet, singer and film producer, Ms Siphokazi Jonas from the Eastern Cape. She has featured at numerous poetry sessions and festivals around the country and has performed with renowned musicians, including Sipho “Hotstix” Mabuse, Freshlyground, Pops Mohamed, Dizu Plaatjies and Dave Reynolds. Her poem will be in a recorded form.

  • We also take this opportunity to extend our whole-hearted congratulations to Senior Counsel Advocate Dumisa Ntsebeza, on his election as a judge of the African Court on Human and Peoples’ Rights. The 34th African Union Heads of State and Government Ordinary Summit made the appointment on Friday, 5 February. Advocate Nsebeza – and Justice Sacko Modibo from the Republic of Mali, who was also appointed – are scheduled to be sworn in in June. The court comprises 11 judges, nationals of African Union Members States, who are elected in their individual capacity. Advocate Ntsebeza is also part of the independent panel, appointed to conduct a preliminary prima facie assessment of the motion to remove Public Protector Advocate Busisiwe Mkhwebane from office. The other two members of the panel are former Constitutional Court Judge Bess Nkabinde and Senior Counsel Advocate Johan de Waal.

 
ISSUED BY THE PARLIAMENT OF THE REPUBLIC OF SOUTH AFRICA