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

President of South Africa

The President of the Republic of South Africa is the head of state and head of government under South Africa's Constitution. From 1961 to 1994, the head of state was called the State President....

 reports on the status of the nation, normally to the resumption of a joint sitting of Parliament (the National Assembly

National Assembly of South Africa

The National Assembly is the lower house of the Parliament of South Africa, located in Cape Town, Western Cape Province. It consists of no fewer than 350 and no more than 400 members...

 and the National Council of Provinces

National Council of Provinces

The National Council of Provinces is the upper house of the Parliament of South Africa under the constitution which came into full effect in 1997...

).

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

Constitutional Court of South Africa

The Constitutional Court of South Africa was established in 1994 by South Africa's first democratic constitution: the Interim Constitution of 1993. In terms of the 1996 Constitution the Constitutional Court established in 1994 continues to hold office. The court began its first sessions in February...

 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

African National Congress

The African National Congress is South Africa's governing Africanist political party, supported by its tripartite alliance with the Congress of South African Trade Unions and the South African Communist Party , since the establishment of non-racial democracy in April 1994. It defines itself as a...

 (ANC) by former South African Deputy President Jacob Zuma

Jacob Zuma

Jacob Gedleyihlekisa Zuma is the President of South Africa, elected by parliament following his party's victory in the 2009 general election....

, and also the absence of both former Presidents Nelson Mandela

Nelson Mandela

Nelson Rolihlahla Mandela served as President of South Africa from 1994 to 1999, and was the first South African president to be elected in a fully representative democratic election. Before his presidency, Mandela was an anti-apartheid activist, and the leader of Umkhonto we Sizwe, the armed wing...

 and FW de Klerk and their respective spouses.

Titles in South African Official Languages

Because the Republic of South Africa has 11 Official languages

Languages of South Africa

South Africa has eleven official languages: Afrikaans, English, Ndebele, Northern Sotho, Sotho, Swazi, Tswana, Tsonga, Venda, Xhosa and Zulu. Fewer than one percent of South Africans speak a first language other than an official one. Most South Africans can speak more than one language. Dutch and...

, 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
  Afrikaans
  Afrikaans is a West Germanic language, spoken natively in South Africa and Namibia. It is a daughter language of Dutch, originating in its 17th century dialects, collectively referred to as Cape Dutch .Afrikaans is a daughter language of Dutch; see , , , , , .Afrikaans was historically called Cape...
  
  : 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

See also

• State of the Union Address
  State of the Union Address
  The State of the Union is an annual address presented by the President of the United States to the United States Congress. The address not only reports on the condition of the nation but also allows the president to outline his legislative agenda and his national priorities.The practice arises...
  
  , the United States
  United States
  The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...
  
  ' equivalent
• State Opening of Parliament
  State Opening of Parliament
  In the United Kingdom, the State Opening of Parliament is an annual event that marks the commencement of a session of the Parliament of the United Kingdom. It is held in the House of Lords Chamber, usually in November or December or, in a general election year, when the new Parliament first assembles...
  
   of the United Kingdom
  United Kingdom
  The United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern IrelandIn the United Kingdom and Dependencies, other languages have been officially recognised as legitimate autochthonous languages under the European Charter for Regional or Minority Languages...
  
  

External links

• State of the Nation Address Speeches at the GCiS