Cape Town – The 2024 State of the Nation (SONA) address has been set down for Thursday, 8 February 2024.
The SA Government News Agency released a statement on 21 December, indicating that President Cyril Ramaphosa had written to the National Assembly Speaker, Nosiviwe Mapisa-Nqakula, and the National Council of Provinces chair , Amos Masondo, requesting them to convene a joint sitting of the two houses for the SONA on that date.
The SONA marks the official start of the parliamentary programme for the year ahead – a year in which the country will go to the polls to vote for its seventh democratically elected government. It also marks 30 years since the first democratic elections were held in 1994.
The SONA sets out government’s key policy objectives and deliverables for the year ahead – this at a time when President Ramaphosa is facing unhappiness within his own party, the ANC, whose former leader, Jacob Zuma, has publicly declared he will not vote for the party in the 2024 elections.
Ramaphosa’s approval ratings generally have also been dropping because of, among others, the state of the economy, the country’s failing infrastructure and lack of progress in censuring State Capture accused. It is widely expected voter support for the ANC will drop below 50% for the first time.
The president uses the address to highlight achievements, flags challenges and outlines interventions that government will undertake to unlock development interventions for the financial year, the Presidency said
A second SONA has been scheduled for after the elections, parliamentary spokesperson Moloto Mothapo told the Citizen.
“As preparations for this key event on the parliamentary calendar progress, the significance of the upcoming year resonates deeply within the nation’s collective memory,” said Mothapo.
“This occasion will be particularly momentous as South Africa celebrates the 30th anniversary of its democracy, commemorating three decades since the historic first democratic elections of 1994,” said Mothapo.
The 2024 national elections will be held between May and August 2024, but the exact date will only be announced by Ramaphosa early in 2024, reports Daily Maverick.
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