Final preparations in full swing for 2026 SONA

Final preparations are in full swing for this 2026’s State of the Nation Address (SONA).

President Cyril Ramaphosa is expected to deliver his tenth SONA at Cape Town City Hall on Thursday evening at 7pm.

This will mark his second address under the Government of National Unity (GNU).

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Several roads around the City Hall have been closed for the rest of the day.

It’s a momentous day for Ramaphosa and his GNU but it remains a normal workday for many Cape Town residents, who filled the streets on their way to work.

Many of them, including Mthetho Mngupane, who runs a car wash in the city, said they have little interest in what the president is expected to say.

“I vaguely heard it over the radio but to be honest with you, I’m generally not that much invested, considering of past disappointments.”

Meanwhile, Parliament’s technical teams are already on site, setting up cameras both outside and inside Cape Town City Hall ahead of the president’s address.

Law enforcement officers have also been deployed around the City Hall, with nearly every intersection in the area secured by police.