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President Jacob Zuma’s state of the nation address (Sona) would go ahead, whether there are disruptions or not, said ANC chief whip Jackson Mthembu.
En route to his office on Thursday morning, he said he was uncertain that Sona would be disrupted.
“Well, we don’t know. Whether there are or not, we will continue. All I can assure you is that the state of the nation address will continue and we will hear the president speak about what is important in the lives of our people.”
Parliamentary rules would be applied should the session be disrupted, he said. “In this [current parliamentary] term, disruptions have been at the order of the day. That’s why our rules are able to deal effectively with any disruptors. I’m not worried about that.
“What I’m more worried about is what better service we can give to the 55 million people of this country. That’s what I’m worried about. What capacity does the state have or don’t have to deliver those services? Is the state capable to deliver those services? That is what we need to hear from our president and, more importantly, what plans do we put on the table to ensure the economy represents South Africans as a whole,” Mthembu said.
Preparations for the ANC’s People’s Assembly gathering on the Parade — where Zuma’s speech was due to be broadcast on big-screen TVs — were in full swing on Thursday morning.
A massive stage decorated in ANC colours was ready by early morning. There was no sign of street sellers who usually conduct their business there.
Closer to Parliament, the streets were cordoned off with metal fences and the area was swarming with police officers.
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