WATCH: Usual glitz and glam as guests arrive for ‘cheaper’ SONA

The prestigious event will be held at Cape Town's City Hall after parts of the parliamentary precinct were gutted by fire earlier this year.

Even though temporary, it’s expected to be less pompous than previous years - with a R4 million bill. 

But that hasn’t hampered spirits in the Mother City, with some guests seen dressed to the nines on Thursday afternoon.

Several MPs have arrived at the City Hall, including DA leader John Steenhuisen, ANC MP Xiaomei Havard, GOOD’s Brett Herron and EFF general-secretary Marshal Dlamini.

President Cyril Ramaphosa is expected to take to the podium at 7pm to deliver his annual address, highlighting government’s plans for the year.

Steenhuisen believes Parliament should consider a tighter budget for future SONAs. 

“There’s certainly a massive reduction, the number of guests that have been invited this year because of the certain restrictions so it’s not as expensive as the ones in the past.

“We should be moving towards cheaper SONAs and less pompous ceremonies,” he told Jacaranda FM News outside the venue.

He hopes Ramaphosa will take the country into his confidence on plans to recover the economy, as well as the academic sector following months of stifled growth due to the Covid-19 pandemic.

“I’d like to see him announcing a catch up plan for the learners, particularly from poorer areas who have lost up to 50% of their teaching over the course of the past year-and-a-half.

“We must catch up that time otherwise we will consign another generation to unemployment and lack of opportunities."

Ramaphosa’s administration has also been riddled with corruption and unstable politics.

Steenhuisen has also called on Ramaphosa to deal with the  spat between Police Minister Bheki Cele and National Police Commissioner Khehla Sitole in a bid to arrest the rising crime rates. 

“While they are fighting a war among themselves, the war against crime has been lost on the frontline and too many South Africans are subject to violent crime, gender-based violence and the likes."

The EFF’s Dlamini is less optimistic about Ramaphosa’s ability to get his house in order.

“We know that he’s just going to be telling us about theories and theories. If we had a president, he would be dealing with the issue that is immediate which is to create jobs - our people are hungry."

The country’s unemployment rate sits above 34%.

“We would have wanted a resident that will tell us concrete and tangible policy direct, tangible solutions on how people are going to get jobs - people are not hungry tomorrow, they are hungry now. 

“Our people don’t have access to land, some of them are still living in shacks because they don’t have access to land. We would have wanted a president like that one but this one, we said from day one he wanted to be a president but he didn’t know why he wanted to be a president so we’re not expecting that he can even understand those issues.

“We don’t have a government,” he declared. 

Watch Dlamini below: 

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