The 24th South African Parliament was the third Parliament of South Africa to convene since the introduction of non-racial government in South Africa in 1994. It was elected in the 14 April, 2004 general election, and was opened by re-elected president Thabo Mbeki's State of the Nation address in a joint sitting on 21 May 2004. The composition of the parliament was only slightly changed by the 2007 floor crossing window period, with the ANC retaining its majority and the Democratic Alliance retaining its lead of the opposition. It held its final session in February 2009, prior to the April 2009 elections.[1]