Pretoria - Economic transformation and the delivery of basic services will feature highly in President Jacob Zuma's second State of the Nation Address (SONA) next week.
"This year's address will focus largely on economic transformation, while not neglecting the important social transformation issues and improving access to basic services," Minister in the Presidency, Collins Chabane, said on Thursday.
Set to take place next Thursday, the SONA will be delivered to both the National Assembly and the National Council of Provinces in Parliament at 7pm, to allow South Africans to watch the broadcast. Last year, government took a decision to deliver the SONA in the evening which resulted in an increased viewership.
"In 2009, when the State of the Nation Address was delivered at 11h00, E-tv viewership was 487 000 and SABC 2 viewership was 1.5 million at the same time. In 2010, the SABC2 viewership at 19h00 shot up to 2.5 million and E-tv rose to 1.3 million. We are convinced that more South Africans will use this opportunity to hear first-hand the line of march from the President for the year 2011," said Minister Chabane.
Chabane added that President Zuma appreciates input made by citizens on radio stations, Twitter, Facebook and media products, adding that Zuma will undertake visits ahead of the SONA, accompanied by ministers so as to keep him in touch with the views of the public.
Leading up to the SONA, Zuma will attend a lease rental hand-over ceremony at Mabaleni Dam in uMthatha in the Eastern Cape, where the Department of Agriculture, Forestry and Fisheries will hand over lease rental money to several communities whose land has been rented by private companies for forestry business.
Meanwhile, on Monday 7 February, Minister of Women, Children and Persons with Disabilities, Lulu Xingwana will visit two factories in Cape Town to increase awareness about the need to include people with disabilities in the country's efforts to create jobs.
Tuesday will see the President alongside Public Enterprises Minister Malusi Gigaba inspect the first of six new South African Airways Airbus A330-200 long-range jetliners, arriving from the airbus final assembly line in Toulouse, France.
The airbus will have a positive impact on services as well as the reputation of SAA as one of Africa's leading airlines, said the Presidency.
Following the inspection, Zuma, accompanied by Social Development Minister Bathabile Dlamini, will visit the Sultan Bahu Treatment Centre in Mitchells Plain, Cape Town, to highlight challenges regarding substance abuse in communities.
On Wednesday, Zuma will spend the day resting in Cape Town and putting final touches to his speech.
After presenting the SONA, Zuma will on Friday officiate the handing over of 44 homes to families that were evicted from District 6 during the apartheid era, after which he will attend the Presidential State of the Nation Address Golf Challenge at the De Zalze Golf Estate, in Stellenbosch.
The challenge is hosted by the Department of Public Service and Administration annually to raise funds for the charity of the President's choice. With the focus being on education, the proceeds will go to the Jacob Zuma RDP Education Trust.
From 15 to 16 February, Zuma will attend the debate on the SONA and his reply is expected on 17 February.
