This will be Zuma’s first Sona since he stepped down as the country’s president on 14 February 2018.

Zuma’s attendance of the event comes on the back of his absence last week from his corruption trial and the state capture commission due to apparent ill-health. He was reportedly receiving medical treatment in Cuba.

His attendance at Sona also comes at a time when the Economic Freedom Fighters have threatened to disrupt Ramaphosa's address should he not listen to their calls for Public Enterprises Minister Pravin Gordhan to be fired.

The party accused Gordhan of targeting black executives at state-owned entities and planning to privatise the institutions.

Last week, the Pietermaritzburg High Court issued an arrest warrant for Zuma but Judge Daya Pillay stayed the warrant until his corruption trial resumes on 6 May.

The former president's lawyer presented the judge with a sick note from what he said was a military hospital, but the judge questioned whether the note was valid or even written by a doctor.

Other former presidents set to attend the Sona on Thursday include Thabo Mbeki and Kgalema Motlanthe.

Eyewitness News