Opposition parties in Gauteng have lashed out at the “pomp and ceremony” surrounding this year’s State of the Province Address (SOPA), labelling the event insensitive in light of the socio-economic challenges gripping the province.
Gauteng Premier Panyaza Lesufi is set to deliver the address and officially open the provincial legislature. The event is being hosted at the Nasrec Expo Centre in Johannesburg, a move that has drawn sharp criticism from political rivals.
Members of the Gauteng Legislature have described the proceedings as needlessly lavish. The scale of the event includes:
Venue: Two entire halls booked at Nasrec, one serving as the main assembly and the other as a dedicated dining hall.
Arrivals: Guests and dignitaries are currently arriving via a red carpet, accompanied by the sounds of a live marimba band.
Entertainment: Inside the main venue, a full orchestra has been commissioned to provide entertainment for the day’s proceedings.
DA Gauteng Leader Solly Msimanga argued that the current format of the SOPA and the State of the Nation Address (SONA) has drifted far from its original purpose.
“We think that this whole SOPA/SONA has really lost meaning,” Msimanga said. “When Nelson Mandela started this, it was supposed to be about proper and real accountability. It was about saying what you have done, what are you doing, and how you are taking the people forward.”
Echoing these sentiments, Freedom Front Plus MPL Jaco Mulder questioned the ethics of the expenditure while many residents face basic service delivery failures, specifically regarding the province’s ongoing water crisis.
“Of course, it’s always better to take Parliament to the people, but we are of the opinion it’s not necessary to spend this amount of money for a ceremony like this when there are so many people in Gauteng without water,” Mulder stated. “Definitely, the priorities are not right.”
At this stage, the Gauteng government has not officially disclosed the total cost of hosting this year’s address.
Thabiso Goba
www.ewn.co.za
