President Cyril Ramaphosa at the 2023 State of the Union Address. (Photo by Jeffrey Abrahams/Gallo Images via Getty Images)
President Cyril Ramaphosa has declared 29 May 2024 as the date for national and local elections.
The announcement was made on Tuesday night, ending months of speculation about when South Africans would vote in the long-awaited poll.
The Government Communications and Information Service (GCIS) said in a statement that the decision was taken following consultation with the South African Electoral Commission (IEC).
Mr Ramaphosa met with nine state premiers and the IEC to discuss preparations for elections marking 30 years of freedom and democracy.
“Beyond fulfilling our constitutional obligations, this election is a celebration of our march toward democracy and the determination of the future we all want,” the president said in a statement.
“I call on all South Africans to exercise their democratic right to vote and for those campaigning to do so peacefully and in full compliance with the law. , we urge unregistered voters to register using our online registration platform,” Ramaphosa said.
The election comes at a time when the governing ANC is at its weakest since 1994, as a result of a spate of defections, corruption, service delivery failures and growing economic hardship.
Democratic Alliance leader John Steenhuisen welcomed the date.
The DA wants to oust the ANC through its opposition coalition, the South African Multiparty Charter, and keep control of the Western Cape.
Mr Steenhuisen said the election was “a turning point for South Africa” and came at a time when “our country needs elections more than any other time in 30 years”.
Steenhuisen said the DA's office is “fully prepared for the challenges ahead” and “is fully committed to the May 29 date.”
He said the DA was preparing “meticulously” for the elections and was “ready to build on months of hard work in every town and city in South Africa”.