The State of the Nation Address will this year again be delivered in the evening – at 7pm – to a joint sitting of both Houses of Parliament.
The reason for having the State of the Nation Address in the evening is to enable as many South Africans as possible to be part of this major event on our country’s political calendar.
The President’s address will be broadcast live on television and on radio, on big screens at public venues in all provinces and streamed live on Parliament’s website.
The State of the Nation Address is an opportunity for the President, as Head of State, not only of Government, to assess our country’s domestic and foreign situation and to outline what we should do so that we enhance our efforts to achieve a better life for all our people.
The ceremonial aspects of the State of the Nation Address will remain the same as in previous years. The three arms of the state – the Executive, the Legislature and the Judiciary - will again come together and play out their Constitutional roles in public.
There will be a mounted police escort and a military motor escort, the route that the President takes will be lined by the South African National Defence Force (SANDF) and at Parliament there will be a red carpet, an imbongi at the gates of Parliament and another imbongi at the entrance to the National Assembly Chamber, a national salute by the Ceremonial Guard of the SANDF, a military band (the SA Army Band Western Cape on this occasion), a fly-past by the South African Air Force and a 21-gun salute.
As with previous years, the public participation aspect of the ceremony at Parliament will involve Guards of Honour coming from schools, civil society organisations and the community in general from all our nine provinces. It was former President Nelson Mandela who first introduced this public participation element into the ceremony.
Nine winners of a competition held on 16 South African Broadcasting Corporation radio stations will also be at Parliament on 9 February, as guests of Parliament.
Also, in keeping with previous years, guests will include
- Members of the judiciary
- Provincial Premiers, Speakers of Provincial Legislatures, Members of Executive Councils and the Executive Mayor of Cape Town
- Members of the diplomatic corps and international organisations, such as the Southern African Development Community
- Former Presiding Officers of Parliament
- Former Deputy Presidents
- Former Presidents
Confirmations of attendance have been received from
- Former President Thabo Mbeki
- Former President FW De Klerk
- Former Deputy President Baleka Mbete
- Former National Assembly Speaker Frene Ginwala
- Former Chief Justice Pius Langa
- The Chairperson of the Southern African Development Community Parliamentary Forum and Speaker of the Parliament of Zimbabwe Mr Lovemore Moyo
Parliament’s theme for 2012 is the knowledge economy and development opportunities.
Parliament’s Constitutional role as the legislative arm of the South African state is to deliberate on and pass laws, to exercise oversight over the Executive, to serve as a platform for the consideration of issues of national concern and to facilitate public participation in these activities.
By adopting the theme of the knowledge economy and development opportunities for 2012, Parliament will be giving greater focus to government programmes and strategies to develop knowledge production and dissemination. Although technological advancement is not a magic cure for the development challenges facing our country, science, technology and innovation can contribute significantly to meeting the needs of our society more efficiently and effectively.
Details are attached of:
Click here to view Eminent Persons (one per province)
Click here to view Junior Guard of Honour
Click here to view Civil Guard of Honour
Click here to view Winners of the radio competition run on 16 SABC radio stations
Click here to view Big screens on which the President’s State of the Nation Address may be viewed
