Parliament said it’s all systems go for the Opening of Parliament Address (OPA) which will be addressed by President Cyril Ramaphosa on Thursday at 19:00.
This would be the first OPA since the formation of the Government of National Unity.
The OPA takes place once every five years, after the Provincial and National Elections, to outline the new administration’s plans while also marking the official opening of the new five-year term of Parliament.
“The OPA is a significant event in our nation’s democratic process, convened by the President in accordance with Section 84 of the Constitution.
This grants the President the authority to summon a joint sitting of both Houses of Parliament for an extraordinary session to conduct special business.
It stands as one of the few occasions that brings the three arms of the state, executive, legislature, and judiciary, under one roof, reaffirming commitment across all branches of state to democratic principles, accountability, and cooperation in the pursuit of national progress and prosperity,” said National Assembly Speaker, Thoko Didiza, during a media briefing in Parliament on the state of readiness to host the OPA.
Didiza highlighted that the event marks the beginning of the 7th term of Parliament and reaffirms the government’s unwavering commitment to constitutional democracy.
The Speaker said following the adoption of new joint rules of Parliament in November 2023, a clear distinction was made between the OPA and the State of the Nation Address (SONA).
“The OPA serves as a pivotal platform for the President to articulate the administration’s comprehensive plans and long-term vision for the upcoming five-year term.
This landmark event not only outlines the government’s strategic objectives and policy priorities but also officially inaugurates the new parliamentary term.
It symbolizes the continuity of democratic governance and sets the stage for legislative and executive collaboration in addressing national challenges and pursuing the country’s development goals.
The SONA, delivered annually by the President in February, serves as a platform to review the government’s past-year performance and outline its agenda for the coming year,” explained Didiza.
She stressed that Parliament’s decorum will be observed, with
key provisions of the new joint rules prohibiting members from interrupting the President during OPA.
Meanwhile, Secretary to Parliament, Xolile George, said the institution has budgeted between R6 to14 million for the OPA.
“The reason we budgeted that range, it’s about looking at cost factors.
In the last sitting in February, we budgeted R8,4 million as a budget.
The actual expenditure may be less, it may be slightly more depending on the reconciliation that we would be doing, but this is the amount we have currently provided for on the nature of the event and scale,” explained George.
