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 stated that he had met with the Independent Electoral Commission (IEC) to fix the election date.
According to the president, he has convened a meeting with all nine provincial premiers and the IEC to assess their readiness for the approaching general election.
ANC Dominance to be Tested Three Decades Later
Since its inception in 1994, the African National Congress (ANC) has yet to lose a presidential election, and it now governs South Africa as the dominant party.
In 1994, the ANC chose the late Nelson Mandela as its first president, making him the first Black president to govern South Africa after apartheid ended.
Meanwhile, the ANC party’s popularity has declined as the government fails to address record power outages, deteriorating infrastructure, and rampant crime and corruption.
The national elections will once again put the ANC’s strength to the test against opposition parties such as the Economic Freedom Fighters (EFF), led by firebrand leader Julius Malema.
The EFF, a black nationalist party, has grown in favour among South Africa’s poor and middle classes, and now holds a significant number of seats in Parliament.
Following parliament’s modifications to the electoral regulations, over 370 parties are recognised able to participate in the elections, making it the first time that independent candidates can run for both national and provincial offices.
The vote comes 30 years after Nelson Mandela became the first leader of the country’s democratic government, marking the end of White-minority rule.
According to opinion polls, the ANC is likely to win less than 50% of the vote, forcing it to rely on smaller allies to maintain control of the continent’s most industrialised country.