It is unacceptable and insensitive of the ANC government to force a large part of Cape Town to come to a standstill for an entire day for the sake of an hour-long State of the Nation Address (SONA), due to start this evening at seven o'clock, in which the country's most pressing problems are sidestepped year in and year out.
Numerous roads and areas around Parliament and in the rest of the city will be closed from 06:00 to 22:00.
Many businesses affected by this are losing yet another day's income while still dealing with the fatal effects of the Covid-19 lockdown; the evidence of it is visible everywhere as many buildings in the CBD are vacant because the businesses they once housed were forced to close their doors by the lockdown.
The ANC government is not worth the suffering of these businesses, particularly not for a SONA that only fifty people are allowed to attend due to pandemic health protocols.
Usually, President Cyril Ramaphosa arrives at the buildings of Parliament shortly before seven o'clock in a black convoy with traffic control and departs again in the same way. Thus, roads are normally closed to ensure the safety of the large numbers of important guests who usually attend the SONA.
That is not the case today, so the decision to close such a large part of the city is senseless and shows that the ANC is completely out of touch with the reality and drastic impact of the lockdown, which has caused thousands of businesses across the country to fight for survival.
The roads that will be closed this year are, according to the traffic authorities, "limited" to the area around Parliament, the M2 and the N2 incoming.
The reason for closing the main routes between 18:15 and 19:00, which seriously affects traffic flow in rush hour, is simply to allow the President's convoy an unobstructed ride to Parliament.
The following roads and areas will be closed (all from 06:00 to 22:00):
• The Company's Garden.
• Bureau street between Adderley street and Parliament street
• Mostert-/Spin street between Corporation street and Parliament street
• Parliament street between Parliament and Spin street, 35 m from Longmarket street (excluding access to the parking lot)
• Plein Street between Roeland and Barrack street
• St. John’s street between Roeland and Vrede street
• Roeland street between Plein and Buitenkant street
• Hope street between Roeland and Glynn street
• The entire Gallery avenue
• Government avenue from Wales street to Gallery avenue
• The entire Bouquet street, including the parking lot
• Commercial street between Plein and Buitenkant streets
• Church Plain
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