Nine A.M. in the morning at Bush Radio is usually when everyone is slowly arriving and getting into the routine of things. People joke around and chat while sipping coffee or going through the morning newspaper.
But on June 3rd 2009 everything moved at a quicker and more brisk pace. People were barking orders back and forth and many ran back and forth between production rooms and the programming office. After all the first State of the Nation speech by President Jacob Zuma, to a recession-ridden country, did not happen every day.
We had two other news interns already camped outside the House of Parliaments in order to get the best footage and audio and to also set up the live feed to the station. When we finally were connected and President Zuma began his speech, the whole office went silent. Someone increased the volume of the speakers and all of us settled at our respective work desks to listen. Now and then someone would interject with a comment or a joke on something Zuma said. But most of the time we just sat there listening and analyzing the speech for its content as any journalist would. At the same time I felt like I was a part of something very historic happening at that moment. The State of the Nation speech is a declaration of what the new or re-elected government will do in the next five years and is the mark of some change. I felt like I was a part of that change and all that was to come; a new beginning. That feeling was so overwhelming that in that room with all the other staff and interns I felt like I was a South African for a brief moment. I thought later that maybe it was just a reaction to the excitement and importance of the event. But I also think that being here for a while has made me accept this life and place as my home. I am that kind of person who can adjust really quickly to any place without a fuss, largely because I was at boarding school for my last two years of high school. I find myself at ease here and act as if this is my home. South Africa issues, events and news are now extremely important for me to know more about because I feel that those are my issues as well. They affect me because I am a part of this country now.
Whether or not President Zuma will deliver the promises made in the speech was not what I was concerned about. I just felt so united and as one nation with all the Xhosa and Afrikaans speakers in the room even though I have no connection and have never had one with South Africa. Odd feeling, but I liked it.
Link to full speech:
http://www.int.iol.co.za/index.php?set_id=1&click_id=13&art_id=iol1244017375536Z516
