President Jacob Zuma will deliver his fourth State of the Nation Address (SONA) on February 9, 2012. The address will be delivered at 19h00. The president’s annual address was traditionally a morning affair until it was changed in February 2010. According to government communications, the change was effected to accommodate working South Africans and other groups who did not have access to the speech in the morning slot. In terms section 84(2) (d) of the Constitution of the Republic of South Africa, 1996, read with Rule 7(1)(a) of the Joint Rules of Parliament of President calls for a Joint Sitting of the National Assembly and the National Council of Provinces, more commonly referred to as the State of the Nation Address. The annual SONA is called by the President, through the Speaker of the National Assembly and the Chairperson of the National Council of Provinces, when the President writes to them to request a joint sitting of Parliament. 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. 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.
– By Ronesh Dhawraj
