SANDF refuses DA call to tone down military pomp and ceremony at Sona

The SANDF will on Thursday be part of the usual pomp and ceremony at the state of the nation address (Sona) to be delivered by President Cyril Ramaphosa, including a 21-gun salute and military fly-over.

This is despite the DA’s request earlier this week for the military presence at the ceremony to be toned down, arguing it won’t bode well to have the full complement after the deaths of 14 South African peacekeeping soldiers in the Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC).

In a letter to the speaker of parliament, Thoko Didiza, the DA requested that the air force fly-over be cancelled, saying it was inappropriate for “government officials and dignitaries to be entertained by grand military displays while our soldiers, under-equipped and lacking critical support, are dying on foreign soil”. 

The matter was also the subject of sharp discussion at the chief whips' forum last week where the EFF and the MK Party said there should be no military parade at all in a show of solidarity with the fallen soldiers.

But they lost the debate after ANC chief whip Mdumiseni Ntuli is said to have argued against the move, insisting the parade was a long-standing Sona tradition.

Didiza on Wednesday announced that the usual pomp and ceremony involving the military at the Sona would go ahead. She said she did relay the DA’s request to the defence force, which seemed to have rejected it, confirming it would have the usual parade. 

The SANDF on Wednesday afternoon had its usual rehearsal and confirmed hours before commander-in-chief Ramaphosa was due to deliver the Sona that the parade would go ahead.

“Full complement of the SANDF participation in Sona 2025 includes the ceremonial guard, fly-past, 21-gun salute, street lining, presidential motorcade escorts and entertainment,” said the defence force on Thursday morning.

Former presidents Thabo Mbeki and Kgalema Motlanthe are expected to be among the 2,000 guests and dignitaries at this year’s Sona. 

It is understood that Jacob Zuma, despite previously confirming to parliament that he would attend, S will not be among the guests due to him appearing in court in KwaZulu-Natal on the same day. Zuma has had a frosty relationship with his former deputy president, Ramaphosa, since the 2017 ANC Nasrec conference. This worsened after Zuma’s incarceration that led to the July 2021 unrest. 

Ramaphosa will deliver the speech under the theme “harnessing parliamentary diplomacy for realisation of global solidarity, equality and sustainability” at the Cape Town City Hall from 7pm.

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