Sona 2022: Ramaphosa speaks to South Africa tonight – follow it live!

President Cyril Ramaphosa will on Thursday deliver this year’s State of the Nation Address (Sona) at the Cape City Hall.

It will be the first time Sona to take place outside Parliament. The venue of the address had to be moved after the National Assembly was destroyed by a fire last month.

Ramaphosa is expected to give on the back of security concerns, rampant corruption and fraud, rising unemployment and a strained fiscus.

Priorities

Last year, the president listed four priorities for 2021: fighting the Covid pandemic, accelerating economic recovery, creating jobs and fighting corruption.

His promises, however, have not materialised. The past year has seen an increased unemployment rate, low economic growth, and little to no action being taken against those involved in corruption.

South Africa’s vaccination programme also seems to be stuttering, with vaccine hesitancy and a lack of awareness programmes by the government being blamed.

Ramaphosa is also expected to give an update on the country’s energy status, with load shedding once again being introduced by Eskom in recent weeks.

ALSO READ: Ramaphosa’s promises at last year’s Sona only half-met – analysts

Sona 2022 live: Follow our updates below

Watch Cyril Ramaphosa deliver the 2022 State of the Nation address here

Sona budget increase

On Wednesday, Parliament spokesperson Moloto Mothapo explained why the Sona budget has increased to over R2 million from the initial R1.9 million.

He said that extra costs had to be incurred because of the change of venue.

“About R1.9 million was budgeted with the understanding that the State of the Nation Address will be held at the regular venue of Parliament,” said Mothapo.

“But since the fire, there had to be some adjustments – because the State of the Nation Address is being conducted here at the city hall which actually does not have the things that we would normally have in Parliament.

“At Parliament we never have to worry about the conferencing systems, we never have to worry about the translation services technology, we never have to worry about the hybrid capability, we never have to worry about the video as well as the audio services. It is just some of those things that we never have to pay for or to worry about.

“But because we are here in a venue that has got none of those facilities, they had to be paid and therefore that may alter or change the R1.9 million figure that the chairperson has spoken about.”

NOW READ: Parliament explains Sona budget increase