Sona security will be same as every year, says Mbete

The security to be deployed at this year’s state of the nation address (Sona) was “no different” from every other Sona over the past 21 years, speaker of the National Assembly Baleka Mbete said.

Briefing the media on tomorrow’s Sona, Mbete said that while the event was an important one that required added security to run smoothly, security measures around the event needed to be “demystified”.

She said the measures put in place were no different from when she had first arrived in parliament and had driven past “soldiers in the trees”.

“There was no EFF then,” she said.

Several media outlets asked questions about security after last year’s Sona saw the use of a signal jammer in the National Assembly and the vicious removal of the EFF by the so-called “white shirts”.

Last year’s events also gave rise to a new parliamentary rule – 53A – which allows for the removal of MPs.

Mbete said the “white shirts” had been employed last year because parliament had not had specific security services contracted to it.

She said since the implementation of the new rules, the necessary “human resources” had been acquired for the parliamentary protection services.

The EFF has again threatened to disrupt the event, this time with questions about why former finance minister Nhlanhla Nene was removed from his post.

Reports have also emerged that a special “crimes against the state” unit would be deployed, while the ANC Youth League on social media threatened “civil war” should MPs disrupt the event.

Three separate marches are also planned in Cape Town on the day.

The Zuma Must Fall, DA and Seskhona marches have been scheduled at different times and assigned specific routes.

But Mbete said she hoped that the address would be “an orderly occasion”. She said it was up to those tasked with security to “leave no stone unturned” to ensure the event ran smoothly and was safe for all.