President Cyril Ramaphosa is expected to announce the date for the 2024 national elections within 15 days of the State of the Nation Address, which is to be delivered on Thursday evening at 7pm.
Thursday’s State of the Nation Address (SONA) to be delivered by President Cyril Ramaphosa will be the last one to be made by the sixth administration.
This year’s SONA holds special significance as it is not only the end of term, but also the address ahead of South Africa’s celebration of 30 years of freedom and democracy.
As Head of State and government, Ramaphosa will deliver the annual SONA before a joint sitting of the National Assembly (NA) and the National Council of Provinces (NCOP).
Addressing the media at the Imbizo Media Centre in Cape Town on Wednesday, Magwenya urged all South Africans to follow the state of the nation.
“We look forward to the President delivering the State of the Nation Address tomorrow at 7pm. It will be the administration’s seventh – in a year which marks 30 years since Parliament ushered in the democratic dispensation,” Presidential spokesperson Vincent Magwenya said.
The President is expected to reflect on the gains made and the areas that still need attention since the last SONA.
Having been inaugurated as President on 25 May 2019, President Ramaphosa is also likely to look back on the term of his administration, highlight achievements, flag challenges and outline interventions to unlock the country’s development.
The State of the Nation Address sets out government’s key policy objectives and deliverables for the year ahead.
The address marks the official start of the Parliamentary programme. It will be followed by a debate in the National Assembly and the President’s reply to the debate.