With only a few hours remaining before President Cyril Ramaphosa steps onto the red carpet at the National Assembly, the streets surrounding Parliament are alive with anticipation, colour and ceremony.
Barricades line the historic precinct; security officials stand at attention, and camera crews from across the globe jostle for position.
Members of Parliament are expected to begin filing into the House from 4pm - their arrival adding to the hum of expectation that has settled over Cape Town.
At 7pm, President Ramaphosa will deliver the State of the Nation Address (SONA) to a joint sitting of Parliament, bringing together the National Assembly and the National Council of Provinces under one roof in one of the country’s most significant democratic rituals.
Across South Africa, millions are expected to tune in as the address is broadcast live on SABC radio and television stations. Community halls, public squares, and organised live viewing sites are preparing to host citizens eager to hear the President outline government’s priorities for the year ahead.
Outside Parliament, the ceremonial red carpet has been rolled out, ready to welcome dignitaries in a display of tradition and national pride.
Parliamentary spokesperson Moloto Mothapo described the occasion as far more than a joint sitting of lawmakers.
“SONA is one of the rare moments where the three arms of the State converge under one roof,” Mothapo told the media on Thursday, during a detailed briefing on the evening’s proceedings.
Members of the Judiciary, both at national and provincial levels, will be present. Representatives of the diplomatic corps, Speakers and Premiers of provincial legislatures, former Presiding Officers of Parliament, and an array of distinguished guests from various professions and sectors of society, are also expected to attend.
As tradition dictates, the bells will begin ringing at exactly 5:45pm, signalling to Members of Parliament (MPs) that they must take their seats as the formal programme prepares to unfold.
The ceremony will begin with full state honours, the national salute, music by a military band, a South African Air Force flypast overhead, and a 21-gun salute. Only then will the President enter the National Assembly chamber to deliver his address.
Inside the House, 490 MPs from both Houses of Parliament will be seated. A further 263 guests from a wide cross-section of society will fill the public gallery, while ordinary members of the public will be accommodated in a specially erected marquee on the parliamentary grounds.
Approximately 1 500 journalists from local and international news houses were accredited to cover the event, underscoring the global attention that the State of the Nation Address commands. – SAnews.gov.za
