Sona: Is it worth spending so much money on?

Lights, camera, action! It will cost taxpayers R6.5 million to host the State of the Nation Address (Sona) this year.

The 2024 Sona will take place on Thursday in Cape Town.

The Hollywood premiere-style red carpet event will shave a few millions from the state’s piggy bank.

Coming at time when many South Africans are struggling to put food on the table amid record-high inflation, some wonder if the glamorous affair is really worth the rands.

So, why spend so much money when we could simply have the family meeting on Zoom?

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‘Democratic tradition’

While a virtual Sona may seem like a strange concept, it’s not entirely new to South African parliament.

SA held a hybrid Sona back in 2021 under Covid-19 restrictions – the cheapest ever held with a budget of just over R100,000.

The hybrid ceremony was attended by less than 50 delegates, and live-streamed.

Although circumstances were exceptional, some have questioned why the same cost-saving approach cannot be used in post-pandemic years.

This year’s Sona budget costs R1.5 million more than last year’s, adding to the already steep multi-million rand expenditure.

Responding to The Citizen during a media briefing on Wednesday, Presidential spokesperson Vincent Magwenya said the ceremony is a constitutional necessity.

“There is a constitutionally-mandated democratic tradition for the president to open Parliament. So, it’s not just about the [Sona], it’s the opening of parliament.

Asked if spending millions on Sona was a worthwhile exercise when the event could be held virtually, Magwenya said: “I’m not quite sure about Sona being held virtually”.

“This is something that’s been part of our democratic dispensation since 1994, and I’m not really following the logic and argument of parliament being open virtually,” he explained.

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Farewell Sona

Independent economic analyst, Bonke Dumisa said it was unrealistic to compare 2021’s virtual Sona budget to the upcoming one, but added that costs could be trimmed down.

“I agree that maybe the costs [could be] reasonably scaled down without necessarily expecting the Sona attendees to eat fish sandwiches and drink [coffee and tea] as if it is a funeral,” Dumisa said.

With the 2024 Sona marking the end of term for the current administration, Dumisa said the generous budget could also be for a fitting farewell.

“There may be a reasonable justification for the parliamentarians to effectively say bye bye to each other now, as many of them may not be back in parliament for a number of reasons,” he told The Citizen.

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‘Money badly spent’

Weighing in, economist Dawie Roodt said the millions spent towards hosting Sona was money badly spent, adding the ceremony could cost much less.

Speaking to The Citizen, he said the only possible justification for the expenditure would be the ceremony’s contribution to nation building.

“The reality is that the state’s finances are so deeply in trouble that we can’t spend one cent unnecessarily. This money could be much better spent elsewhere,” Roodt said.

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