Former Gauteng Premier, Mbhazima Shilowa says there are a lot of issues that President Cyril Ramaphosa needs to address on Thursday during his 2024 State of the Nation address (SONA).
Shilowa has highlighted some of the issues that the President might address such as service delivery, energy crisis and unemployment.
Speaking to South African Broadcasting Corporation (SABC) News, he says the president is more likely to focus on the 30th anniversary of democracy from 1994.
“Well, we need to be able to use the thirty-year period to say we have been able to ensure more people now have access to water, sanitation, health care.”
SONA 2024 | Ramaphosa’s promise of new dawn: Mbhazima Shilowa
Significance of SONA
SONA provides the President with an opportunity to speak to the nation on the general state of South Africa, to reflect on a wide range of political, economic and social matters, and to account to the nation on the work of government and to set out government’s programme of action.
This year’s address also comes as the country prepares for national and provincial elections. Kealeboga Maphunye, Professor of African Politics at the University of South Africa, talks about the history and political significance of the SONA.
New rules during SONA
Meanwhile, Parliament says it is ready to implement its new rules during SONA before the two houses of Parliament in the Cape Town City Hall.
The legislature amended its joint rules to address disruptions during the SONA. The Chairperson for Internal Arrangements in the National Assembly, Grace Boroto says they are ready for the important milestone.
“Everything has been prepared, as we know what is the state of the nation. We all know what is involved, the rules committee had to sit down and come up with rules that would assist us in making sure that the points of order do not disrupt the President’s speech.”
Economic Freedom Fighters (EFF) Julius Malema also shared his views about not being allowed to attend tonight’s SONA.
The EFF lost its court bid to stop parliament from implementing the new rules against disrupting the president’s address.
This follows last year’s SONA where Malema and a group of EFF members were ordered out of the room by the speaker for interrupting Ramaphosa’s address.
“Parliament changed the laws and the rules and said no one will call the point of order to the President when he does the State of the Nation Address. They changed the law, especially for the EFF. It is because they are scared of the EFF point of order. This is a tool that is used in parliament to hold the President accountable. When you take away the point of order you are saying the President must not be held accountable.”
