Parliament Has Plans to Keep Lights On During State of the Nation Address, Leaving Many Outraged

• Parliament announced that there are plans in place to ensure the State of the Nation Address (Sona) is not interrupted by loadshedding
• This after political parties expressed concerns about the safety of Members of Parliament should a power outage occur
• Secretary to the National Assembly Masibulele Xaso said that loadshedding concerns are being addressed, leaving many annoyed

CAPE TOWN - Parliament announced that it has steps in place to ensure President Cyril Ramaphosa’s State of the Nation Address (Sona) is not thrust into darkness.

Political parties expressed concern about loadshedding and the safety of Members of Parliament should a power outage occur during the address. Parliament Speaker Nosiviwe Mapisa-Nqakula said the Sona will take place on Thursday, 9 February, in Cape Town City Hall.

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Secretary to the National Assembly Masibulele Xaso told EWN that loadshedding concerns are being addressed. She added that the necessary backup is in place to ensure smooth sailing at the Sona.

This comes after African National Congress (ANC) chief whip Pemmy Majodina expressed concerns about the energy crisis. She said the safety of MPs would be a concern if loadshedding is experienced when they are travelling home.

Majodina suggested that the address be rescheduled earlier in the day rather than the traditional 2pm. However, Xaso said rescheduling would have to be discussed with the National Council of Provinces.

The National Assembly secretary also said there would have to be a meeting with Sona to pass a motion that would allow Parliament to sit at the Cape Town City Hall. He added that there would be a general motion to ensure there isn’t a need for one every time the City Hall is needed, News24 reported.

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Mzansi annoyed by Sona plans

@Sifiso_rsa said:

“Sona, what's new? Honestly, there shouldn't be any Sona this year!”

@truthloveryes commented:

“If only they'd act to shield South Africans.”

@SaajidS9 posted:

“Why? like the rest of us, they must schedule their life around load shedding.”

@desmondnair wrote:

“Loadshedding during SONA would be a true reflection of the state of the nation.”

@thegraphmaker added:

“Why pretend things are okay? Let them Sona by candlelight. Bring the point home I say.”

DA earns Mzansi’s respect for loadshedding-ending plan in Cape Town: “I'll reconsider voting again”

Briefly News also reported that the Democratic Alliance (DA) seems to be earning a few extra votes after the City of Cape Town announced plans to tackle loadshedding in the Western Cape.

The city will pay cash and incentives to businesses and households that generate excess power and feed it back to the grid. Mayor Geordin Hill-Lewis said the initiative aims to reduce four stages of loadshedding.

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eNCA reported that the mayor shared details about the three-phase independent power plan.

Source: Briefly News