State of the Nation Address (South Africa)

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The State of the Nation Address of the President of South Africa (abbreviated SONA) is an annual event in the Republic of South Africa, in which the President of South Africa reports on the status of the nation, normally to the resumption of a joint sitting of Parliament (the National Assembly and the National Council of Provinces).

The speech marks the opening of the parliamentary year and is usually attended by important political and governmental figures of South Africa, including former Presidents, the Chief Justice of the Constitutional Court and other members of the judiciary, the Governor of the Reserve Bank, and Ambassadors and Diplomats to the Republic.

The 2008 SoNA marked the first address after the ousting of South African President Thabo Mbeki as President of the African National Congress (ANC) by former South African Deputy President Jacob Zuma, and also the absence of both former Presidents Nelson Mandela and FW de Klerk and their respective spouses.

[edit] Titles in South African Official Languages

Due to the fact that the Republic of South Africa has 11 Official languages, the State of the Nation Address is made available, either automatically or by request, in all of the official languages and published on the website of the Government Communications and Information Service (GCiS).

Afrikaans: Staatsrede van die President van Suid-Afrika
isiNdebele: Ikulumo yesiTjhaba kaMongameli weSewula Afrika
isiXhosa: INtetho yeLizwe kaMongameli waseMzantsi Afrika
isiZulu: Inkulumo Kamongameli Wase Ningizimu Afrika Yesimo Sezwe
Sepedi: Polelo ya Setšhaba ka Mopresidente wa Afrika Borwa
Sesotho: Puo ya Mopresident wa Afrika Borwa
Setswana: Puo ya Maemo a Setšhaba ka Moporesitente wa Aforika Borwa
Siswati: Inkulumo leyetfulelwa sive ngumengameli weleNingizimu Afrika
Tshivenda: Mulaedza wa Lushaka wa Muphuresidennde wa Afrika Tshipembe
Xitsonga: Mbulavulo wo Pfula Palamende lowu endliweke hi Phuresidente wa Afrika Dzonga