State of Nation speech to cost R6.8m
Image by: Foto24 / Bongiwe Gumede / Gallo Images
It's all systems go for this years' State of the Nation speech, which coincides with St Valentine's Day tomorrow.
The ceremony will cost taxpayers more than R6.8-million.
Most of the money has been spent on advertising, promotional material, transport and accommodation.
Max Sisulu, Speaker of the National Assembly, and Mninwa Mahlangu, chairman of the National Council of Provinces, briefed the media about the preparations yesterday.
The theme for this year's State of the Nation speech by President Jacob Zuma is "Socio-economic development through oversight and public participation".
The evening speech will be broadcast and shown on giant TV screens in all nine provinces.
"The ceremony [will involve]a mounted-police escort and a military motor escort, the lining of the president's route by the SA National Defence Force . a salute flight by the South African Air Force and a 21-gun salute," said Mahlangu.
He said the public's participation in the ceremony was former president Nelson Mandela's legacy.
But Adderly Street flower-sellers are not impressed that the event coincides with Valentine's Day because it might cost them business because of closed roads.
The attendance of former president Thabo Mbeki and wife Zanele will depend on Mbeki's programme in Sudan. Former president FW de Klerk and his wife, Elita, are expected to attend.
Other guests will include members of the diplomatic corps, foreign dignitaries, last year's top matriculants and Zuma's spouses, one of whom will accompany him in the procession from the Slave Lodge.
Join the discussion & Debate
State of Nation speech to cost R6.8m
For Commenters Consideration | Please stick to the subject matterCOMMENTS [56]
buddi
Posted 101 days agofrans.van-erk1
Posted 101 days agoSuch effort by an uneducated has to be rewarded properly and when keeping in mind that the boyfriend of her Excellency Dina Pule, SA minister of communication, is paid R 6 million for a days work (?), the R 6,8 million spend on our dear president are indeed peanuts.
BornintheRSA
Posted 101 days agoRSA.MommaCyndi
Posted 101 days agoamaKK
Posted 101 days ago------------------------
But why?
It's a news worthy item and accordingly has been in the news. What other advertising and promotion needs to be done?
Many attendees have residences in CT, so what's with the accomodation?
I just love the way the ANC loves to deal in millions these days. It's soooo nice to have a big pot to deep into as they please.
Mike123
Posted 101 days agoJakes_Mathews#
Gormogon1
Posted 101 days agoStirrer
I guess to survive his torture of the language (including pausing at the most inopportune moments), we will have to play the counting game again!
My money is on:
- pushing up his glasses (simultaneously giving everyone the finger) : 15 times
- silly giggle (in response to his own weak attempt at humour) : 7 times
- reading mistakes (despite having had the speech drummed into him) : 5 times
BornintheRSA
Gormogon1
muk2
Posted 101 days agoKhadaffi15833
ZolisaJela
nkosipeter
Posted 101 days agoChichi7
Lungu
Posted 101 days agoJakes_Mathews#
Posted 101 days agoJakes_Mathews#
Robrt013Mugabe99
Posted 101 days agoFlavious
Jakes_Mathews#
staren
RedCoat
TenBears
Territc
Posted 101 days agobuddi
RedCoat
Posted 101 days agoWiseguy
Posted 101 days agoPoliticians govern this good country and all its law abiding people using the basic principal of governing "of the people, by the people, FOR the people"! This basic principal should govern all their deliberations, decisions and actions, transparently, honestly and accountably !
Racism is our country is but a distant memory of the "bad old days" and all racial prejudice is but a page in a history book that next generations will learn from
Abuse in any of it many forms(incuding abuse of power by our politicians) is not tolerated and actively, honestly and transparently prosecuted and appropriately persecuted, without fear or favour.
The best interests of this nation and all its good people are put first....irrespective!
Stirrer
Posted 101 days agoRedCoat
RSA.MommaCyndi
Jakes_Mathews#
buddi
What are solar toilets? Do they heat up the water or the seat?
BokfanSaffer
Posted 101 days agoHmmnn I wonder how much the New Age got?
Stirrer
Jakes_Mathews#
Gulaz
Posted 101 days agoRedCoat
"ONLY R6.8M spent on address"
"The govt is pleased to announce that this session of the state of the nation will only be costing the tax payer R6.8 millon, a reduction from last years cost by 50%, further showing how we the anc afe firmly committed to making more funds available to the poor by consuming Moet this year instead of Krug" said ministearial head of counter truths Mr Mac Maharaj.
(please note i am aware the figures and %'s are fictional)
Its not the fact that the address is happening its the ammount of money being spent on it........
so please yes, let your critisism be inteligent.
RSA.MommaCyndi
We had apartheid, lets bring that back because if it has ever been done before then it is only right that we do it again
Countries have gone many decades with nobody being allowed to vote so lets do that here because if it was done there then it should be what we do here
Logic?
staren
Posted 101 days agoNo its definitely money well spent...
skhokho20
Posted 101 days agoRSA.MommaCyndi
It still sounds like an AWFUL big amount of money for a single event!
m1si2zi3nzo4
Those few who enjoy our forefathers' sweat are quick to remind us that "White"are no good. But they cannot justify why they go all the way to get "White"capital to enrich themselves. In their retarded brain they forget that what they enjoy is also our sweat and blood. In most cases, it is all that we had.
i_stub_born
....Zuma was "elected" by ANC finger-appointed cadres with the ORDER to choose Zuma......The ordinary citizen, included the drooling voters in every election did NOT choose Zuma directly..........That is the African (and Third World) style of "democracy"................
""""Things are not going to change just bcoz there is a black gov in power.""""
For sure!!!, everything is going to be worse than ever!!!!.......
MbuleloJaca
Posted 101 days agoJakes_Mathews#
For observation purpose if you have that ''precious'' time, check out, all the members of parliament, all will be fast asleep and will only wake up by the end of tired long day in mental and physical agony, it is nothing but tantamount to suffering if you have to listen and watch Zuma reading the speech/paper or even talking during TV interview, so dump and extremely boring, I feel sorry for the international community.
m1si2zi3nzo4
Jakes_Mathews#
There are certain things which nobody can do nothing about? Just like the one you have just mentioned, it is like a rotten peace of meat that even the spices of India cannot ''fix'', the smell of which even the strong perfumes of Arabia cannot obscure?
The only solution is leave them as they are, if you do n't want to stress yourself try to take cognizance of every move the ANC execute by so doing you will be inviting perpetual stress and permanent agony into your life.
What more can you do to knock sense into the heads/mind of hopeless kleptomaniacs who elect themselves into the high echelons and claim to have been elected by the ''people'' moreover where the main purpose and motive is self enrichment plus associated benefits such as free holidays all over the world while having sex with prostitutes (male or female, all the same *another reason why politicians divorce like hell*) at random!?
CynthiaMulomba
Posted 101 days agoall these people who are always so quick to despise and insult without any analysis are only revealing their mentalities.
Also,everytime the Gov spends it is thought to be spending white wealth and yet the richest
South africans are black and they pay their taxes, and black employees are the highest
contributers of PAYE.
Like I have said before,get over this nostalgia for the past, it's never coming back.
staren
The breadth with which you miss the point here is actually quite scary...
Black-Moses
'' All the Govs in the world spend on such occassions.''
Are you impatiently awaiting for this occassion, which is to be addressed by the first citizen law evader? There is nothing new to anticipate. It's just a waste of money. It is as good as taking your own hard earned money go shove it where the sun doesn't shine.
RSA.MommaCyndi
Holding the crazy apartheid regime up as a great way to govern a country and a shining example worthy of emulating ?!?!?
Far too many people are smoking their socks
BrianO_Cinneide
Posted 101 days agoLionelRudling
Posted 101 days ago