Preparations gain momentum around City Hall as Cape Town gears up for State of the Nation Address

CAPE TOWN - It's D-Day.

The time has come for the much anticipated State Of the Nation Address (SONA).

The event will be held at the Cape Town City Hall, with President Cyril Ramaphosa expected to deliver his speech at 7pm on Thursday evening.

The sun is rising on the Cape Town Grand Parade, outside of the historic City Hall.

Apart from the squawking of scores of seagulls, it's relatively quiet for now.

Marquees have been set up across the parade to accommodate members of the media, who are beginning to trickle in to start the day’s work. 

Police officials have already started making their presence felt in and around the Cape Town CBD, while the National Joint Operational and Intelligence Structure (NATJOINTS) says it's satisfied that all deployments are in place to ensure SONA takes place in a peaceful, safe and secure environment.

This is the third State of the Nation Address being held at the City Hall, after a fire gutted the National Assembly chamber two years ago.