Pretoria - Excitement around the Parliamentary precinct is building ahead of President Jacob Zuma's State of the Nation Address tomorrow evening.
The National Assembly has been spruced up, the red carpet rolled out and swept and the military officials involved in the parade and band have pressed their uniforms, cleaned their instruments and practised for hours.
The preparations will culminate in the opening of Parliament and a joint sitting of the National Council of Provinces and the National Assembly for the State of the Nation Address at 7pm on Thursday.
Attended by Cabinet members, political parties, businesspeople, ambassadors, commissioners and other Heads of State, the opening of Parliament is also a fashionable affair. Last year, the red carpet was lit up by striking traditional attire and the bold colours of the South African flag.
In his speech, the President will chart a common direction for the country for the coming year as well as take stock of the previous year's achievements.
The address is largely informed by the annual Cabinet Lekgotla in January, where Cabinet assesses the impact of government programmes and deliberates on the forthcoming Programme of Action.
The 2012 January Lekgotla also served as a mid-term review, during which Cabinet assessed progress made on the six New Growth Path job drivers - infrastructure development, agriculture, mining and beneficiation, manufacturing, the green economy and tourism - which aim to enhance growth, employment creation and equity.
The 2012 Cabinet Lekgotla also reported that Government had made notable progress across its five key priority areas of education, health, rural development, safety and crime prevention, as well as job creation.
South Africans across the country are encouraged to tune in to SABC radio and television, visit one of the many viewing events held in rural areas or watch live via streaming on www.info.gov.za.
