The President of South Africa, Cyril Ramaphosa, has declared that the country’s national election will take place on May 29, 2024.
The president also said he has met with the Independent Electoral Commission (IEC) on setting the election date.
According to the president, he has organized a meeting including all 9 Provincial Premiers and the IEC to review their readiness for the upcoming general elections.
ANC Dominance to be Tested Three Decades After
Since its emergence in 1994, the African National Congress (ANC) is yet to lose a presidential election as it constitutes the majority rule in South Africa.
- ANC elected the late Nelson Mandela as its first president in 1994, making him the first Black President to govern South Africa in the aftermath of apartheid.
- Meanwhile over the years, the popularity of ANC party has waned as the government fails to address record power outages, collapsing infrastructure and rampant crime and corruption.
- The national elections will again test the strength of ANC against oppositions such as the Economic Freedom Fighters (EFF) led by the firebrand politician, Julius Malema.
- EFF, a black nationalist party, has gained significant popularity among South Africa poor and middle class, controlling considerable seats in the Parliament.
What you should know
- Nearly 370 parties are deemed eligible to take part in the elections, marking the first instance where independent candidates are allowed to run for both national and provincial positions, following amendments to the electoral laws by parliament.
- The vote is taking place 30 years after Nelson Mandela became the first leader of the nation’s democratic government at the end of White-minority rule.
- According to opinion polls, the ANC is at risk of winning under 50% of the vote, which would compel it to depend on smaller allies to keep governing the continent’s most industrialized country.
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