Parliament explains Sona budget increase

Parliament Spokesperson Moloto Mothapo on Wednesday moved to explain why the State of the Nation Address (Sona) budget has increased to over R2 million from the original R1.9 million that was initially set aside.

Mothapo was addressing members of the media outside the Cape Town City Hall where this year’s Sona will be held after a fire gutted parts of the Parliament building last month.

He said that extra costs had to be incurred because of the change of venue and holding Sona under extraordinary circumstances and the conditions of emergency of a crisis that was caused by the fire.

“About R1.9 million was budgeted with THE understanding that the State of the Nation Address will be held at the regular venue of parliament,” said Mothapo.

“But since the fire, there had to be some adjustments – because the State of the Nation Address is being conducted here at the city hall which actually does not have the things that we would normally have in parliament.

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“At parliament we never have to worry about the conferencing systems, we never have to worry about the translation services technology, we never have to worry about the hybrid capability, we never have to worry about the video as well as the audio services. It is just some of those things that we never have to pay for or to worry about.

“But because we are here in a venue that has got none of those facilities, they had to be paid and therefore that may alter or change the R1.9 million figure that the chairperson has spoken about.”

Acting Secretary of Parliament Baby Tyawa said on Tuesday that a total of R4 million has been budgeted to include the post Sona events, such as the debate by MPs and President Cyril Ramaphosa’s response.

The city hall needed to be kitted out for Sona, Tyawa said.

“Additional costs such as branding, IT, catering, furniture, and interpretation facilities in the hall had to be installed. For the day itself, we put aside R1.9 million, but like I said this is a budget, once we reconcile our expenditure, it could be more, taking into consideration that we had to relocate and invest in the new venue,” she said during a briefing on Tuesday.