Sona brings disruptions to businesses operating around the City Hall

Bringing the State of the Nation Address to the historic City Hall has come with unintended disruption and inconvenience to businesses operating in the vicinity.

This is according to National Assembly Speaker Nosiviwe Mapisa-Nqakula who briefed the media earlier Tuesday ahead of Thursday’s Sona.

It will be the first time in the history of South Africa’s constitutional democracy that Sona takes place outside the parliamentary precinct after a fire gutted several parts of the building, including the National Assembly last month.

Mapisa-Nqakula said there had been several engagements with traders who operated at the Grand Parade opposite the City Hall and along the streets that would be closed.

“Trading will be affected from 9-16 February, but it will take place on Saturday 11 February and Sunday 12 February until 3 pm”.

Mapisa-Nqakula said the City of Cape Town had provided alternative venues for trading and this indicated that both Parliament and the city remained sensitive to the people’s economic needs and would ensure continuity of their livelihoods.

“We regret the inconvenience that business of Parliament will cause to businesses and free movement around the area and have accordingly apologized to the relevant stakeholders.”

A large part of the parade has already been cordoned off and cleaned as structures are being set up to accommodate members of the media.

TALKS WITH TRADERS

The South African Informal Traders Alliance (Saita) said the City of Cape Town and Parliament had been in consultation with the leadership of the Grand Parade informal traders.

Saita president Rosheda Muller said agreements had been made about how the trading space would change to accommodate the Sona event.

“Unfortunately, when we got to the market on Monday, we found that Parliament set up on the wrong side than what we agreed to.”

Muller said traders had been placed in the car park section near The Castle but traders were unhappy because of the decrease in foot traffic in that area.

“With the city’s help, we did manage to bring the traders further up because on The Castle side there aren’t enough feet passing by.”

On Wednesday and Thursday, there’ll be a total shutdown on the parade and no trading will happen.

Muller said officials had offered them alternative trading sites for those days at Harrington Square and the Company Gardens but these options were not feasible.

She added that not trading on Wednesday would have a big impact on businesses because Wednesdays and Saturdays are traditionally big market days.

“But I supposed we have to sacrifice because of what has happened and it is a national event, we also don’t want to stop the government from doing their Sona.”

Trading will resume on Friday.

Meanwhile, some traders have told Eyewitness News they were not happy about the loss in working hours because trading on the Grand Parade was their families’ only source of income.

‘NO SABOTAGE CAN STOP SONA’

National Assembly Speaker Nosiviwe Mapisa-Nqakula said no amount of destruction or sabotage was going to prevent Parliament from hosting Sona.

She said calling preparing for the event a “challenge” was an understatement.

Mapisa-Nqakula told a media briefing earlier on Tuesday that the event was important and had to go ahead at an alternative venue, even after the complete torching of the National Assembly chamber.

“It was important for us to take this political decision that no burning of a parliamentary building, no amount of sabotage will actually distract us from holding this Sona.”

She’s confident Parliament officials will pull off a successful event.

“I confidently say that we are ready to host this auspicious event. Our team has put shoulder to the wheel to make sure that we host a very successful Sona despite the challenges we have.”

The City Hall will remain a precinct of Parliament until 17 February.

-EWN

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