ESKOM has assured parliament that the state of the nation address (Sona) will not be affected by load shedding.
This assurance however does not apply to the general public.
Gengezi Mgidlana, the newly appointed secretary to parliament who assumed his position in December, yesterday told journalists that Eskom had given parliament assurance that President Jacob Zuma's Sona would be uninterrupted by load-shedding because it was an event of national interest.
He was briefing the media on the institution's state of readiness to host the president's Sona next Thursday.
Mgidlana said parliament and officials in the City of Cape Town were meeting regularly to discuss measures to ensure uninterrupted power supply to the national legislature.
He said back-up generators were also on stand-by to be used in the worst-case scenario.
"We've been able to get [to] an understanding between ourselves and Eskom, I don't know whether we'll call it an exemption or whatever, but we've been able to get [to] an understanding that . the events and the proceedings will go on unhindered," Mgidlana said.
"And . it's not only about the [parliamentary] precinct here. It's also about the public out there . waiting to hear . the speech and those in [the public] viewing space provided by GCIS."
Eskom on Tuesday flip-flopped, announcing in the morning of that day that there would be no load-shedding, only to backtrack in the afternoon.
The power utility is battling to generate enough power to supply the nation following "technical faults" at its three powers stations of Majuba, Duvha and Koeberg.
Turning to other matters, Mgidlana said the Sona budget had been cut by more than half, from R9-million last February to R4-million this year.
The presidential gala dinner, which has traditionally been hosted at the pricey Cape Town International Convention Centre, has been dropped in favour of a cocktail functions to be hosted within the parliamentary compound.
Alcohol to be served during the cocktail function will also be strictly limited to 640 bottles of wine for about 1700 guests.
For more stories like this one, be sure to buy the Sowetan newspaper from Mondays to Fridays
No blackout for SONA
ESKOM has assured parliament that the state of the nation address (Sona) will not be affected by load shedding.
This assurance however does not apply to the general public.
Gengezi Mgidlana, the newly appointed secretary to parliament who assumed his position in December, yesterday told journalists that Eskom had given parliament assurance that President Jacob Zuma's Sona would be uninterrupted by load-shedding because it was an event of national interest.
He was briefing the media on the institution's state of readiness to host the president's Sona next Thursday.
Mgidlana said parliament and officials in the City of Cape Town were meeting regularly to discuss measures to ensure uninterrupted power supply to the national legislature.
He said back-up generators were also on stand-by to be used in the worst-case scenario.
"We've been able to get [to] an understanding between ourselves and Eskom, I don't know whether we'll call it an exemption or whatever, but we've been able to get [to] an understanding that . the events and the proceedings will go on unhindered," Mgidlana said.
"And . it's not only about the [parliamentary] precinct here. It's also about the public out there . waiting to hear . the speech and those in [the public] viewing space provided by GCIS."
Eskom on Tuesday flip-flopped, announcing in the morning of that day that there would be no load-shedding, only to backtrack in the afternoon.
The power utility is battling to generate enough power to supply the nation following "technical faults" at its three powers stations of Majuba, Duvha and Koeberg.
Turning to other matters, Mgidlana said the Sona budget had been cut by more than half, from R9-million last February to R4-million this year.
The presidential gala dinner, which has traditionally been hosted at the pricey Cape Town International Convention Centre, has been dropped in favour of a cocktail functions to be hosted within the parliamentary compound.
Alcohol to be served during the cocktail function will also be strictly limited to 640 bottles of wine for about 1700 guests.
For more stories like this one, be sure to buy the Sowetan newspaper from Mondays to Fridays
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