CAPE TOWN - President Cyril Ramaphosa will deliver the State of the Nation Address on Thursday evening.
Each year, the occasion brings together all arms of the state in a glamorous affair.
Some argue the President should instead opt for a family meeting and save money.
[COMING UP] President Ramaphosa delivers SONA 2024
Siviwe Gwarube, MP and Chief Whip of the Official Opposition, said the opening of Parliament in 2024 is just over R6-million.
"There are over 30 million people in South Africa who are languishing in poverty.
"I certainly don't think that it's within what is responsible for us to be essentially showcasing opulence with this kind of event but we've got to be in step with the mood of the country," she said.
The cost of SONA on the taxpayer | Part 2
The cost of SONA on the taxpayer | Part 3