Zuma’s state of the nation address set to trigger clashes
President Jacob Zuma’s state of the nation address on Thursday evening is likely to dominate the week. The ANC is sending its top leaders to visit Cape Town communities in the run-up to the speech.
ANC supporters will watch the speech on large screens erected on the Grand Parade.
For the first time Zuma will leave the National Assembly after his speech to address them there.
The EFF says it will try to prevent Zuma from speaking. It will first argue that Zuma should not be allowed to address the joint sitting of Parliament and if this is rejected by speaker Baleka Mbete — which is certain — they will be using the rules of Parliament in a bid to prevent him from doing so. This could lead to scuffles with parliamentary protection services if the proceedings become ungovernable, as they have done in the past.
EFF supporters will also be gathering outside the parliamentary precinct to voice their opposition to what they regard as an illegitimate president who has violated the Constitution. Here again conflict with the police could arise as it has before.
DA leader Mmusi Maimane will be addressing diplomats and the media on Wednesday in what could be seen as the DA’s alternative to Zuma’s speech.
Maimane’s speech — Rescue Mission for a Lost Generation — will outline the DA’s alternative policy proposals for the future.
Zuma will laud the achievements of the ANC government and will emphasise that more has to be done with regard to radical economic transformation.
He is likely to highlight the funding of university education and an accelerated process of land redistribution.
The president is also expected to make an announcement regarding the national minimum wage and labour market reforms, both of which have been under negotiation at the National Economic Development and Labour Council.
Mineral Resources Minister Mosebenzi Zwane will address the annual Mining Indaba on Monday and could provide clarity on the draft mining charter, which has met with strong opposition in the mining industry.
Also on the mining front, the court action by legal firm Malan Scholes on to the “once empowered always empowered” principle relating to the charter will take place in the High Court in Pretoria on Tuesday and Wednesday.
The firm wants the court to declare the ownership section of the charter unconstitutional and void for insisting that black ownership must be retained at a minimum of 26% whatever previous empowerment deals have taken place and fallen away in the past.
On Tuesday Maimane will lead a picket outside the offices of Gauteng premier David Makhura to protest against the deaths of 94 mentally ill patients after they were removed by the Gauteng health department from the Life Esidimeni hospital.
Meanwhile, the state of the nation address will mean a truncated week for parliamentary committees.
On Tuesday the standing committee on finance will be briefed and hold hearings on the Insurance Bill.
On Wednesday the police committee will be briefed by the Private Security Industry Regulatory Authority and the select committee on communications and public enterprises will learn from Sentech about its state of readiness for the digital migration process.