President Jacob Zuma will deliver his State of the Nation Address (SONA) on 12 February 2015 under the theme ’20 years of a democratic Parliament’.
Zuma will be delivering his eighth State of the Nation Address. The address will be to a Joint Sitting of the National Assembly and the National Council of Provinces.
The State of the Nation Address is also one of those rare occasions when the three arms of the State come together in one place: the Executive, the Judiciary and the Legislature. It is also important to note that the President addresses the nation in his capacity as Head of State and not as Head of Government.
A Head of Government is the chief officer of the executive branch of a government, often presiding over a cabinet. A Head of State is the chief public representative of a nation having duties, privileges and responsibilities varying greatly depending on the constitutional rules.
Constitutional expert Professor Pierre De Vos adds that as Head of State, the President “acts alone” while as Head of Government, he/ she “acts collectively with a cabinet”.
“A Head of State is like the Queen while Head of Government is like the Prime Minister (in the UK). In South Africa, we have both in one position – the country’s President. Also, South Africa does not have a State President because the constitution says ‘President’ as it entails being Head of State and Head of Government,” De Vos says.
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