Parliament’s Presiding Officers announced on Friday that the 2022 State of the Nation Address (SONA) will now be held at Cape Town City Hall.

This after fires, which the firefighters battled for over 70 hours, severely damaged the National Assembly (NA) building, including the NA chamber where the official sittings of the NA and Joint Sittings of both Houses of Parliament are usually held.

President Cyril Ramaphosa is due to deliver the SONA on February 10.

“The Presiding Officers are grateful to the Western Cape Provincial Government and the City of Cape Town for coming forward with offers for the use of their venues for the business of Parliament. They have offered the Cape Town International Convention Centre, the City Council Chambers and the City Hall. In this regard, after a great deal of consideration and following thorough onsite inspections of alternative places, we have decided on the most suitable facility that meets our requirements,” the officers said in a statement.
 
City Hall was considered a suitable venue technically in terms of infrastructure and its capacity.

The officers also took into account its historical significance as it is the place where former President Nelson Mandela addressed the nation after his release from prison on February 11, 1990, with Ramaphosa by his side.

“As South Africans we are resilient people, we have overcome many difficulties in the past. Therefore, we will rise from these ashes and rebuild, restore, renew and march forward in our continuous endeavour to build a democratic, non-racial, non-sexist, united and prosperous society we all aspire,” the officers said.