The costs behind the state of the nation address

Technical equipment hired to provide South Africans with live access to the state of the nation address (Sona) has taken up 90% of the R8m budget allocated to the event. 

During a technical briefing ahead of the Sona by President Cyril Ramaphosa on Thursday,  parliamentary spokesperson Moloto Mothapo sought to dispel the notion that the institution was wasting money on frivolous spending such as on the red carpet.

"The red carpet — sometimes people think [it] signifies pomp and ceremony, but the red carpet we have had, it belongs to procurement. We bought it 20 years ago. We roll it out, we roll it back [up] for the next Sona. It’s  not even something we pay for or hire,” Mothapo said.

He said technical support equipment was necessary at such events as the Sona to ensure citizens access to the address itself, the subsequent debate, the president’s reply and the budget.

The venue change from parliament to the Cape Town City Hall had necessitated the hiring of technical support equipment, he said.

“We are forced to pay more than we would have paid if we were still in the parliamentary precinct because the things we have to pay for that we previously did not have to pay for, include broadcasting facilities and live transmissions to various broadcast stations in the country. We are renting that equipment for between R800,000 to R900,000 a day.”

He said this year had seen a rise in costs due to the amount of time the equipment will be hired for.

"This year we are paying more because we started with a virtual sitting to honour our founding speaker, Frene Ginwala. That technical equipment will remain for Sona, the debate and the president’s reply to the debate and the budget.

"That is money we have to pay. We are obligated under the constitution to ensure that the public participates in what happens in parliament," said Mothapo.

This year will mark the second time the Sona is held at the city hall, following the burning of parliament in January 2022. 

Ramaphosa is expected to deliver the Sona at 7pm in front of approximately 490 MPs and other VIPs.

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