The question of who will deliver the 2018 State of the Nation Address on Thursday remains unanswered. Last week, National Council of Provinces Chair, Thandi Modise said: “Whoever will be the President on the day” will deliver the SONA.
Unconfirmed reports say that President Jacob Zuma has refused to step down as President of the country after a meeting with ANC top leaders on Sunday.
Opposition parties have asked the National Assembly Speaker, Baleka Mbete to postpone the SONA. Mbete last week responded telling told the media that says she does not have the powers to postpone the State of the Nation Address.
Listen: I don’t have powers to postpone SONA – Mbete
The EFF had written to the speaker asking her to schedule a motion of no confidence before the President delivers the SONA.
Mbete has also added that the motion of no confidence cannot happen before the SONA. The motion of no confidence against Zuma will be tabled on the 22nd of February. That’s word from the Speaker of Parliament Baleka Mbete.
READ: 9 things to know ahead of #SONA2018
However the Economic Freedom Fighters is unhappy with the move. The party’s deputy president Floyd Shivambu says the motion should be debated before the State of the Nation Address by President Zuma on February 8th.
Political analyst, Aubrey Matshiqi, says ANC President Cyril Ramaphosa is facing pressure to ensure Zuma is out of office.
“Ramaphosa has been under pressure since his election, not only from within the ANC but also from outside the ANC to make sure that the ANC recalls Zuma. More so, to make sure that he is recalled before the SONA. But the problem that has arisen is that the supporters of Zuma have launched a counter-attack and they are resisting attempts to recall him. I even suspect that the calculations of the president is that he has enough support inside the party to defy the party if they ask him to resign as head of state,” says Matshiqi.
