Defence committee to ask minister about SONA army deployment letter
17 February 2017
Cape Town – Parliament's joint standing committee on defence says it will ask Defence Minister Nosiviwe Mapisa-Nqakula for more information around the deployment of 441 soldiers for the State of the Nation Address (SONA).
MPs on Friday adopted the letter President Jacob Zuma had sent on February 2, alerting Parliament to the deployment of the soldiers during SONA for the purposes of maintaining "law and order".
DA MP Sarel Marais wanted to know if it would have been possible for Zuma to have informed the committee sooner, seeing as it was "technically" in session during the week the letter was sent.
He also wanted to discuss the fact that the soldiers were patrolling in the precinct on the night of SONA, despite assurances from Speaker Baleka Mbete and Secretary to Parliament Gengezi Mgidlana that their duties would be ceremonial.