'All systems go' for Sona, MPs hear
Preparations for a State of the Nation Address (Sona), to be given by incoming president Cyril Ramaphosa, is on track for Friday evening.
Ramaphosa was elected President at a sitting in the National Assembly on Thursday.
National Assembly Speaker Baleka Mbete and National Council of Provinces chairperson Thandi Modise chaired a joint programming committee meeting on Thursday to discuss logistics around Friday's planned Sona.
Parliament's acting secretary Penelope Tyawa, gave a breakdown of plans for the Sona after Jacob Zuma officially resigned as president and Parliament has received the letter.
SMSes have been sent to all invited guests and the guest list was reconciled at 11:00 and the accreditation process was kept the same as it was originally.
Plans are in place to accommodate all the outside broadcasting vans on the precinct, which is being administered by the Department of Public Works.
"It's all systems go," Tyawa said.
'We can do our hair and buy our clothes'
The mood in the joint committee was very relaxed on Thursday morning across the political spectrum.
ANC chief whip Jackson Mthembu told joint committee that the change in schedule had given MPs an "opening" in the morning to prepare for Sona's usual traditions.
"The opening will allow us to go do our hair and buy our clothes and be ready for 19:00," he cracked.
Modise chirped back: "The doing of the hair will be across genders, it won't be specific to just women, thank you."
Economic Freedom Fighters MP Hlengiwe Mkhaliphi also had her say and commented that guests would be pleased that there would be no need for "bouncers" in the Chamber anymore.
Inkatha Freedom Party chief whip Narend Singh also joked that the imbongi (praise singer) used during Zuma's tenure should be replaced with a new one for the new president.
Mbete closed the meeting by wishing everyone a belated, happy Valentine's Day.
Comments
Press Office
Announcements
What's On
Subscribe to improve your user experience...
Option 1 (equivalent of R125 a month):
Receive a weekly copy of Creamer Media's Engineering News & Mining Weekly magazine
(print copy for those in South Africa and e-magazine for those outside of South Africa)
Receive daily email newsletters
Access to full search results
Access archive of magazine back copies
Access to Projects in Progress
Access to ONE Research Report of your choice in PDF format
Option 2 (equivalent of R375 a month):
All benefits from Option 1
PLUS
Access to Creamer Media's Research Channel Africa for ALL Research Reports, in PDF format, on various industrial and mining sectors
including Electricity; Water; Energy Transition; Hydrogen; Roads, Rail and Ports; Coal; Gold; Platinum; Battery Metals; etc.
Already a subscriber?
Forgotten your password?
Receive weekly copy of Creamer Media's Engineering News & Mining Weekly magazine (print copy for those in South Africa and e-magazine for those outside of South Africa)
➕
Recieve daily email newsletters
➕
Access to full search results
➕
Access archive of magazine back copies
➕
Access to Projects in Progress
➕
Access to ONE Research Report of your choice in PDF format
RESEARCH CHANNEL AFRICA
R4500 (equivalent of R375 a month)
SUBSCRIBEAll benefits from Option 1
➕
Access to Creamer Media's Research Channel Africa for ALL Research Reports on various industrial and mining sectors, in PDF format, including on:
Electricity
➕
Water
➕
Energy Transition
➕
Hydrogen
➕
Roads, Rail and Ports
➕
Coal
➕
Gold
➕
Platinum
➕
Battery Metals
➕
etc.
Receive all benefits from Option 1 or Option 2 delivered to numerous people at your company
➕
Multiple User names and Passwords for simultaneous log-ins
➕
Intranet integration access to all in your organisation