[imagesource: AFP / Rodger Bosch]

Those jets that flew over the Cape Town CBD yesterday, and the rolling out of the red carpet outside of Parliament, signal that the country’s bigwigs are in town for President Cyril Ramaphosa’s State of the Nation address.

I wish we could save the money spent on allowing the EFF a chance to heckle (or worse), and then our president the chance to waffle about things that will more than likely never come to fruition, but here we are.

Cyril, just send out an email, and use the R2,1 million earmarked for this year’s event to build some homes for people in need – easy.

If you’re anywhere near the CBD today, you will want to plan your exit strategy, because getting caught up in the SONA mess won’t do your blood pressure any good.

Via the Citizen, here are the CBD road closers to look out for:

• Wale Street, between Burg and Adderley Street (6am-11.45pm)
• Bureau Street, between Adderley and Parliament Street (6am-11.59pm)
• Spin Street, between Corporation and Parliament Street (6am-11.59pm)
• Parliament Street, between Parliament and 35m from Longmarket Street (excluding parking garage access point) (6am-11.59pm)
• Plein Street, between Roeland and Longmarket Street (6am-11.59pm)
• St. John’s Rd, between Roeland and Vrede Street (6am-11.59pm)
• Mostert Street, between Plein and Buitenkant Street (6am-11.59pm)
• Roeland Street, between Plein and Buitenkant Street (6am-11.45pm)
• Roeland Street, between Buitenkant Street and Brandweer Street (5.45pm-7.30pm for 35 minutes)
• Hope Street, between Roeland and Wesley Street (6am-11.45pm)
• Glynn Street, between Buitenkant and Hope Street (6am-11.45pm)
• Wesley Street, between Buitenkant and Hope Street (6am-11.45pm)
• Gallery Lane (6am-11.45pm)
• Government Avenue (6am-11.45pm)
• Bouquet Street and parking area (6am-11.45pm)
• Commercial Street, between Plein and Buitenkant Street (6am-11.45pm)
• Church Square (6am-11.45pm)

Like we said, get out of town early.

There are also closures outside of the CBD, such as the M3 Highway, Woolsack Drive westbound, Anzio Road, and the N2 Highway, which you can read about here.

Oh, and parking anywhere in the vicinity is going to be a hellish ordeal.

To wrap up, you can expect Ramaphosa to touch on a number of familiar issues, the EFF to misbehave, the words ‘honourable member’ to lose all meaning, and the CBD to be an area best avoided.

We suffer together.

[source:citizen]