State of the Nation Address: When, where and why should I care?

People’s Assembly will be providing you with weekly updates on the State of the Nation Address (SONA), which will be happening shortly. This article will focus on logistical information such as when and where the SONA will take place, but also talks about the importance of it.

President Jacob Zuma’s State of the Nation Address will take place on Thursday, June 19, 2014 at 7pm. During the SONA, the President will report on the state’s socio economic status as well as the government’s goals for the next five years. Most citizens will be able to follow the SONA on their televisions or on the radio.

Now that you have the when, the where and the what, we are here to give you two reasons to “why should I care?” First, the ceremonial entrance before the speech should be aesthetically pleasing. During the formal ceremony, a mounted police escort and the military ceremonial motor escort will accompany the President. Furthermore, the ceremony will include a salute by the ceremonial guard of the South African National Defense Force, and a “fly-by” by the South African Air Force. Additionally, viewers will be able to watch the 21-gun salute and the military band in action. So even if politics is not your “strong suit,” you should tune in for the beginning of the ceremony and see how far the nation has come after twenty years of democracy.

This leads to the second point, and more serious reason to why you should care about the SONA. After twenty years of democracy, the State of the Nation Address is the citizens’ chance to hear the government’s plans and get a glimpse of where the nation is going. Representational democratic governments are structured so that citizens get their voices heard through their governmental officials. If people aren’t informed, they can’t voice educated opinions. It is very important that the public makes its voice heard - A representational democracy without people to represent, is no democracy.

So if politics “isn’t your thing”, tune in for the ceremony, even if it is just to see the “fly-by” and the guns being fired. You may also use it as a time to reflect on how twenty years have shaped South Africa. Then, after the ceremony, take the next step and stay tuned, because after contemplating South Africa’s progress, the speech will be a good way to reflect about its future.

Look out for part two of this SONA venture next week.

By Camila Rodriguez, J.D. Candidate 2016