Zuma to be Barred from Delivering South African National Address?

VIDEO: Possibilities of SONA Postponement - Ongama Mtinka

Opposition parties the Economic Freedom Fighters and Democratic Alliance have written to Parliamentary Speaker Baleka Mbete requesting that President Jacob Zuma be barred from delivering the annual State of the Nation Address. This comes after Parliament's sub-committee on the rules of the National Assembly met to discuss the proposal of a "hybrid panel" of MPs and retired judges to handle the in-depth processes of impeaching a president.

Photo: GCIS

Fly past at Parliament before President Jacob Zuma delivers his State of the Nation Address (file photo).

analysis By Marianne Thamm and Bheki C Simelane

Speaker of Parliament Baleka Mbete has mail. Both the Economic Freedom Fighters (EFF) and the Democratic Alliance (DA) have written to her ahead of the annual State of the Nation Address - with different requests, albeit with the same result, that President Jacob Zuma not deliver the address.

EFF CIC, Julius Malema, has written to speaker Baleka Mbete requesting a meeting with opposition party leaders to be held prior to the State of the Nation Address (SONA) which may or may not be delivered by President Jacob Zuma on 8 February. The EFF said Zuma should not be allowed to deliver the annual address and that a motion of no confidence should be scheduled beforehand.

Malema wrote to the Speaker on Wednesday in reply to a letter she had sent rescheduling a meeting with Leaders of Political Parties where the 2018 State of the Nation Address would be discussed.

"We write to emphatically request that the meeting of party leaders and all programming meetings that will happen before SONA should necessary schedule the motion of no confidence to be held prior to the State of Nation Address."

The request, said Malema, is informed "by the fact...