Staff Reporter.
Speaker of the National Assembly, Nosiviwe Mapisa-Nqakula, has assured South Africans that preparations for the hosting of the 2023 State of the Nation Address (SONA) on Thursday are well underway.
At a media briefing on Tuesday at the Imbizo Media Centre in Cape Town, the Speaker thanked the City of Cape Town for availing the City Hall for this year’s Joint Sitting of the two Houses of Parliament, and for the hosting of the State of the Nation Address.
President Cyril Ramaphosa will deliver the 2023 SONA at the Cape Town City Hall. His address is scheduled to start at 7pm.
Mapisa-Nqakula said the City has handed over the City Hall to Parliament.
“The City Hall is now officially a precinct of Parliament, as per the definition of the precincts of Parliament provided for in Section 2 of the Powers, Privileges, and Immunities of Parliament and Provincial Legislatures Act.”
Mapisa-Nqakula said in addition to the State of the Nation Address, the Hall will also host the two-day debate on the President’s address by the Joint Sitting of the Houses, the reply to the debate by the President and the Budget Speech by the Minister of Finance on Wednesday, 22 February.
The Speaker explained that the theme under which the Joint Sitting of Parliament will be held remains the sixth Parliament’s focus, which is ‘Following up on our commitments to the people: Making your future work better’.
According to the Speaker, the 2023 State of the Nation Address will be fully physical and all attendees, including Members of Parliament and invited guests, will be present in the Chamber and the public gallery.
“We can confirm that similar to last year, this year’s proceedings of SONA 2023 will follow the full ceremony format.
“Activities undertaken and observed during a full ceremony include the Flame Guard, the 21-gun salute, an aircraft flypast, the lining of the route, the Ceremonial Guard, the Salute of the Step Guard, the singing of the National Anthem, the full Military Band and the ceremonial processions of the Provincial Speakers, Premiers, the Judiciary, the Deputy President and the President.
“The President will take a salute at the platform prepared in front of the statue of uTata Madiba, which is on the balcony of the City Hall, where he will observe the singing of the National Anthem by the South African National Defence Force Military Band, synchronised with the 21-gun salute and flypast,” Mapisa-Nqakula said.
Logistics
Over 650 members of the media have been accredited to cover the event. The names of the accredited members of the media were published on Parliament’s official website last week, with details of areas to collect the access tags.
The Parliamentary Broadcast and Audio Visual Unit will provide a broadcast feed to all television stations that will be broadcasting from the precinct. The Government Communication and Information System (GCIS) will provide an audio feed for all radio stations.
This will be the second year the City Hall hosts the State of the Nation Address after a fire destroyed parts of the Parliamentary building.
The fire affected both the Old Assembly Wing and the National Assembly Wing, which house the chambers of the National Assembly and the National Council of Provinces.
Law Enforcement
The National Joint Operational and Intelligence Structure (NATJOINTS) has put measures in place to ensure that the State of the Nation Address (SONA) takes place in a safe and secure environment.
“Integrated and joint law enforcement operations are underway and law enforcement officers have been deployed and are on high alert to ensure that the SONA takes place in a secure environment, with no incidents of crime before, during and post the SONA,” the NATJOINTS said.
The NATJOINTS comprises various government departments including the South African Police Service (SAPS), the South African National Defence Force (SANDF) and the State Security Agency (SSA).
The NATJOINTS has called for the cooperation of the public, including those who will be in attendance as well as spectators.
“Any action aimed at disrupting the SONA or intentionally contravening the law, will be dealt with accordingly within the ambit of the law. The NATJOINTS has also directed all law enforcement agencies securing the SONA to execute their duties according to their Constitutional mandate and within relevant prescripts,” the NATJOINTS said.
With regards to the aviation security, a Notice to all Airmen (NOTAM) has been issued by the Civil Aviation Authority, which restricts the airspace within 1.5 nautical miles from the Cape Town City Hall on 09 February 2023 between 1pm up until midnight.
“Only the South African Air Force (SAAF) will have flexible use of airspace during this period. Please note that this is strictly a no fly zone for drones. The airspace restrictions will also be in place during the Parliamentary Debate and Presidential reply from 14 until 16 February 2023 as well as during the Budget Speech on 22 February 2023.
“Residents of Cape Town, spectators and those who are operating businesses in the vicinity of the Cape Town City Hall are advised about road closures ahead of the delivery of the President’s SONA,” the NATJOINTS said.
The NATJOINTS has emphasised that the public will not have access to the area around the Cape Town City Hall on Thursday. Only people who are accredited or authorised will have access to this area.
Information on the list of road closures and parking restrictions is available on the SAPS website, www.saps.gov.za, as well as the SAPS Facebook and Twitter social media pages.