State of the Nation Address 2016

President Jacob Zuma  delivered his eighth State of the Nation Address (SONA) at the opening of Parliament on Thursday, 11 February 2016, at 7pm.

The president  addressed both houses of Parliament, the National Assembly and the National Council of Provinces.

The theme for 2016 is “Following up on our commitments to the people”. Both Houses of Parliament were present, along with all 9 premiers and special delegates. .

What is SONA?

The speech is aimed at informing citizens about what government will be focusing on for the next year. The President will assess our country’s domestic and foreign situation and set out plans to improve the lives of South Africans.

In his speech, the President will talk about government’s achievements of the past year and will also present the focus areas for the coming year. These focus areas will set out government’s plans to address various key government programmes. 

How SONA affects you

Building a better country involves everyone. During his address in 2014, President Zuma said, “we have to work together as government, business and labour to grow our economy at rates that are above 5% to be able to create the jobs we need”.

The State of the Nation Address is an opportunity for you to know what government has planned for the year and also an opportunity to get involved.

Where can you watch the speech? 

The State of the Nation Address will be broadcast live on:

• SABC radio station
• SABC TV
• Parliament TV (DStv Channel 408)
• The proceedings can also be viewed via video streaming on Parliament’s website and Parliament's YouTube Channel

SONA will be broadcast live to ensure that as many people as possible can be  part of the event. You can listen to it on radio, watch the event on television, stream the speech live (link below) or attend a live viewing at the following venues in the Western Cape:

• Masibambane Thusong Centre 
• Leeu Gamka Community Hall 
• Swellendam Thusong Centre 
• Zolani Centre

For detailed information, visit Parliament’s website  or join the conversation on Parliament’s Facebook and Twitter pages.

Road closures

Traffic in Cape Town’s CBD will be affected on the day. Find out how the event might affect your traffic route.

Watch President Jacob Zuma's State of the Nation Address live