Guests and Members of Parliament have used the 2026 State of the Nation Address (SONA) to tell a story far deeper than fabric and thread and instead used the occasion to tell a story of growth and ambition.
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.
Minister in the Presidency Khumbudzo Ntshavheni has outlined government’s key reform priorities ahead of President Cyril Ramaphosa’s State of the Nation Address (SONA), highlighting urgent interventions in water security, crime, economic recovery and local government reform.
Acting Police Minister Firoz Cachalia says the State of the Nation Address (SONA) is an important event in the country’s calendar, a day on which the eyes of the country and many beyond the borders turn to Parliament to hear the President outline the nation’s priorities and the path forward.
The Minister of Cooperative Governance and Traditional Affairs (COGTA), Velenkosini Hlabisa, has underscord the importance of all spheres of government working together to tackle the water supply challenges in Gauteng.
Acting Police Minister Firoz Cachalia has embarked on a series of engagements with a broad range of stakeholders to discuss policing challenges in the Western Cape and strengthen measures to improve safety in communities across the province.
South Africa has been elected to serve a two-year term on the African Union’s (AU) Peace and Security Council.
The stabilisation of water supply in Gauteng remains a priority for government as it implements infrastructure upgrades, system balancing and accelerates investment in new storage capacity.
Small Business Development Minister Stella Ndabeni has called for accelerated industrialisation as the most decisive intervention to address South Africa’s persistently high youth unemployment rate, warning that without a focused reindustrialisation strategy, young people will continue to bear the brunt of economic stagnation.
The Cape Town City Hall stage is set, the final preparations are underway and the parliamentary gears are turning with one moment in sight: President Cyril Ramaphosa stepping up to the podium to deliver the State of the Nation Address (SONA) tonight.
