Live Feed: Sona 2024 - The Issues Mps Expect To Hear Ramaphosa Address

President Cyril Ramaphosa will deliver the State of the Nation Address (Sona) at 7pm on Thursday. The address will take place before a joint sitting of the two houses of Parliament.

Sona is an important milestone in South Africas democracy as it measures from the view of the president the countrys political, social and economic landscape.

In the address, Ramaphosa will outline his governments key policy objectives and deliverables for the year ahead, flag challenges while also highlighting what has been achieved since his last address in 2023 .

With a general election looming this year and poll after poll showing a dramatic decline in support of the ruling African National Congress (ANC), Ramaphosa is facing mounting pressure from all sides.

His partners within the alliance , opposition parties , civil society and the business sector are urging him to act decisively to turn the economy around.

President Ramaphosa is expected to face little disruptions at the Sona 2024, as EFF members have decided to boycott the event. This will be the first Sona in years, that is likely to have no disruptions.

The doors of the chamber have been closed, meaning no one else may enter, except the president, the National Assembly Speaker and the chairperson of the National Council of Provinces.

Members of the governing ANC were seen in buoyant mood, singing Struggle songs inside the house. All projects suggest the 2024 general elections will be a hotly contested election, with the ANC expected by most election polls, to dip below 50% for the first time.

More here.

Sona 2024 Red Carpet

5pm - For the first time since the Covid-19 pandemic and the preceeding lockdowns, Parliament has embraced a red carpet affair after a quiet affair in recent years. The red carpet show can be watched below.

5.10pm - IOLs Political Journalist Siyabonga Mkhwanazi has produced a comprehensive outlook, looking at Ramaphosas big promises since 2018 and how he has faired on that score.

The report, which is scathing on how the Ramaphosa-led government is handling the load shedding problem, can be read by clicking here.

5.11pm Speaking to eNCA News ahead of the Sona 2024, Electricity Minister Kgosientsho Ramokgopa, said part of the problem they were faced with is resolving Eskom problems. He said his priority was not Eskom, but his task was simply to increase the electricity availability factor for the country, which included sourcing power from external parties, including neighbouring countries.

5.18pm - Freedom Under Laws Judith February, commentating on a panel discussion on eNCA, said the two focal issues facing the Ramaphosa-led government was the unemployment crisis, which was difficult to address without the ability to keep the lights on, and addressing the energy crisis itself.

She said creating jobs and producing electricity, were the two focal issues that the country needed to address.

5.53pm - DA leader John Steenhuisen says this is the last Sona by an ANC president. He says the real Sona, will be delivered after the elections, by a non-ANC president. Steenhuisen tells the SABC News that he is expecting Ramaphosa to make populist promises during his address.

5.30pm - Social Development Minister Lindiwe Zulu, sporting a dress made by her daughter, and a bag from the Cape Society of the Blind, tells the SABC News that the most vulnerable people in society must be protected. She says government must support those who are vulnerable in society, but warns against guarding to become a welfare state.

5.33pm - Freedom Front Plus leader Pieter Groenewald says he never once bought the Ramaphoria during the phase in 2018 when Ramaphosa took over from former president Jacob Zuma.

Groenewald says he was never sold on the promises from the start. He tells the SABC News on the red carpet that unemployment has increased under his leadership and that some people have said there was more corruption under Ramaphosa.

He also said Ramaphosa, who promised that there would be no corruption of Covid-19 money, must apologise to the people of South Africa, for all the empty promises.

5.40pm - Presidency Minister Nkosazana Dlamini Zuma, who is retiring after the sixth administration, says the economy is recovering after the Covid-19 pandemic. She says were it not for Covid-19, as a Cabinet Minister in the sixth administration, they would have done much better.

Dlamini Zuma says she will continue helping people in the communities when the sun sets on her political career.

5.45pm Eskom has failed to make a commitment that there would be no load shedding during the Sona 2024. As things stand, some people in South Africa will no