South African Government News Agency

SA eagerly awaits President’s speech

Cape Town – All eyes will be on President Jacob Zuma when he walks into the National Assembly to deliver the State of the Nation Address tonight.

This will be President Zuma’s third State of the Nation Address (SONA) to the joint sitting of the two houses of Parliament since he was re-elected into office after the May 2014 elections.

The State of the Nation Address will be broadcast live on a number of television and radio stations and streamed live on Parliament’s website and at approximately 30 public viewing sites.

The President will give an update on the implementation of the Programme of Action based on the National Development Plan (NDP). 

With most preparations out of the way, the red carpet will be laid along the path where the President will walk up to the stairs of the National Assembly, where he will be greeted by prominent persons and Presiding Officers before observing the 21 gun salute.

Speaker of the National Assembly Baleka Mbete announced during a briefing on Tuesday that it was all systems go and that Parliament was ready to host this year’s SONA.

The 2016 SONA will also be delivered within the context of the current strides made by government to respond to the various challenges the country is facing.

The President will also highlight key interventions already in place to ensure a better life for all South Africans.

Some of the key interventions are:

-      The nine-point plan;

-      Operation Phakisa, which includes the Ocean Economy, Mining, Education and Health;

-      Anti-corruption initiatives; and

-      Operation Fiela.

The President is also expected to use the speech to map out government’s plans for the year ahead.

The content of the speech is very important and citizens are urged to familiarise themselves with the content in order to know what role they can play to bolster the country’s growth. 

The State of the Nation Address will be followed by the debate in the National Assembly on 16 and 17 February. President Zuma will reply to the debate on 18 February.

From 16 February, cluster media briefings will provide additional updates on government's programme of action.

Every State of the Nation Address is aligned with the Programme of Action of previous administrations and electoral mandate. The address will provide South Africans with updates on the implementation of the Programme of Action, which is based on the NDP.

Government is implementing the first five-year building block of the 2014-2019 Medium-Term Strategic Framework (MTSF).

The MTSF contains detailed targets, indicators, roles and responsibilities and timeframes for the implementation of key programmes. – SAnews.gov.za