Cape Town - Parliament has budgeted R4 million to host the State of the Nation Address after it was forced to relocate from the precinct following the burning of the national legislature in January.
The presiding officers of Parliament said on Tuesday they were ready to host the Sona on Thursday after preparations had been done.
The National Joint Operational and Intelligence Structure (Natjoints) also said on Tuesday it has put in place security measures around Cape Town for the event.
“Security forces have been deployed and are on high alert to ensure that the Sona takes place in a secure environment, with no incidents of crime before, during and post the Sona,” said the Natjoints in a statement.
It called on the people to cooperate with the security agencies during this period.
Speaker Nosiviwe Mapisa-Nqakula said they were ready to host the Sona.
She said despite the challenges faced by the institution this year, they were ready.
“I confidently say that we are ready to host this auspicious event. Our team has put shoulder to the wheel to make sure that we host a very successful Sona,” said Mapisa-Nqakula.
Acting Secretary to Parliament Baby Tyawa said they have budgeted R4 million for the Sona given the fact that Parliament had to relocate to the City Hall after the fire that affected it.
She said this was higher than the previous Sona where R208 000 was budgeted because of a hybrid model due to Covid-19. But they ended up spending less than what they budgeted for.
“Let me start from the year we had Covid, which was 2020 where we also had a hybrid Sona. At that stage we budgeted R208 000 and we spent R160 000. That was an under expenditure. Currently, we had initially budgeted around those figures if nothing else was going to happen. Noting the fact that the City Hall is a place where we have to invest in wall to wall broadcast, ICT, catering, furniture and interpretation facilities we have put aside and this is a budget estimate, we have put aside R4m and that includes the debates up until the response from the President. On the day itself we are expecting an expenditure of about R1.9m,” said Tyawa.
She said this was a budget estimate, but they will table the full report to the joint standing committee on the financial management of Parliament after they have done reconciliation.
POLITICAL BUREAU