Cape Town - Parliament is a hive of activity this week as preparations get underway for President Cyril Ramaphosa’s second State of the Nation Address (SONA) that is expected to take place on Thursday evening.
Various road closures have also been prepared and they are expected to take place from Wednesday onwards.
“To accommodate the SONA and the opening of Parliament, the National Government together with the South African Police service has requested that extended road closures be affected in the City,” said Maxine Bezuidenhout, spokesperson for the City of Cape Town's Traffic Services.
She advised motorist to take extra note of the closures in place.
"For SONA roads within the CBD will be closed from 6am to midnight to accommodate the state of the nation address the road closures will affect the normal flow of traffic in and around the City Bowl, Newlands and the M3 and the inter City-bound lanes. Road users are urged to plan their road routes accordingly,” Bezuidenhout said.
Posters and banners have already been set up, while media tents have been erected around the precinct. There was a strong police presence around the parliamentary precinct on Tuesday.
President Ramaphosa was on a walkabout at the parliamentary precinct to check on the preparations ahead of the State of the Nation Address.
This year’s SONA theme is “Following Up on Our Commitments to the People: Making Your Future Work Better.”
Here are some of the road closures are expected at SONA:
Road closures are as follows:
Road closures are as follows:
This week marks one of the most important moments in the country’s political calendar. The president faces the added pressure of presenting his administration’s plan for the nation just a few months before the national elections. He is also expected to announce the date on which South Africans will head to the voting polls during his address.
Ramaphosa is also expected to reveal details on the future of Eskom.
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