The Economic Freedom Fighters (EFF) won't be wasting their time with the State of the Nation Address (Sona) debate on Tuesday, leader Julius Malema has said.

And neither will the Congress of the People (Cope), the party says.

Speaking at a press conference in Johannesburg just an hour before the debate started, the EFF leader was dismissive of the sitting.

He said EFF MPs, who were in the precinct on Tuesday dealing with committee business, would not take part in the debate.

"We are not going to be debating Zuma's speech because it's not worth our time," he said.

He described the president's Sona speech as redundant, and without any legitimacy.

Meanwhile, Cope said the debate undermined the spirit and the letter of the Constitution.

"The Congress of the People remains resolute in its position that it cannot be complicit in disrespecting the national Constitution by participating in the Sona debate. The ruling party and its surrogates may use their numbers but the fact remains that they are wrong and Cope is right," the party said.