Pressure is mounting on President Cyril Ramaphosa to announce the widely anticipated election date in his State of the Union address. (Photo by Jeffrey Abrahams/Gallo Images via Getty Images)
PPressure is mounting on President Cyril Ramaphosa to announce the widely anticipated election date in this week's State of the Union Address (Sona).
ANC insiders believe that Mr Ramaphosa will announce the election date on February 8, but his spokesperson Vincent Mugwenya has remained tight-lipped on the matter, saying: “We will We are waiting for his announcement.”
Political parties face a logistical nightmare caused by not knowing the election date. The Democratic Alliance (DA) recently sent a memorandum to its members dated January 31, stating that the list of candidates must remain secret until announced by President Ramaphosa.
DA Federal Council Chair Helen Gill further stated in the memo: “It is further resolved that the Federal Executive shall not discuss any information related to the candidate list with any person and that such discussion shall be considered a violation of the party's closed meeting policy.” Disciplinary Action “This could lead to the suspension of membership,” it added, adding that those attending meetings where the list is reviewed will be required to sign a non-disclosure agreement.
ActionSA chairman Michael Beaumont said the party expected Mr Ramaphosa to make an announcement on Thursday during the Sona session.
However, the party added: “We are receiving information from senior leaders within the IEC.” [Electoral Commission of South Africa] He said the law would need to be amended following the Constitutional Court's ruling regarding independent candidates. ”
In 2020, the Supreme Court declared the election law unconstitutional and invalid because it does not allow independent candidates to run for public office. This necessitated a complete overhaul of the law, which was signed into law in April 2023.
IEC spokesperson Kate Bapela said the commission was ready to hold the elections even though the president had not announced a date.
ANC general secretary Fikile Mbalula has indicated that the party plans to announce its leadership candidate after the release of its manifesto on February 24.
The ANC is holding interviews with parliamentary candidates and the premier.
In January, various political parties contesting this year's national and local elections called on Prime Minister Ramaphosa to use Sona to announce election dates.
In a previous interview, M&GAfrican Movement for Transformation (ATM) communications manager Mxolisi Makfubu said the delay in announcing the dates had prevented political parties from properly planning for a successful election.
“As a self-funded party that always seeks to appeal to all voters and voter bases, we need a timeline that allows us to stretch our financial resources accordingly in order to remain as elusive as we were going into the 2019 general election.” “However, it is important for most political parties to successfully collect the mandate from the people and be able to fulfill it in the 6th Congress.”
Economic Freedom Fighters leader Julius Malema also criticized President Ramaphosa's delay. Mr Malema previously said there was no logical reason or excuse to extend the election date announcement.
“Prime Minister Ramaphosa must accept that his failure-defined term has come to an end and give his people an election date so they can prepare for a future without him.”
ANC national spokesperson Mahlengi Bhengu-Motsili said this week that announcing election dates was the prerogative of the president. “We don't talk about election dates. Even if it were to happen, I think it could happen at the civil service level. That's the full power of the president, otherwise it would confuse the party and the state. I will.”
The party said that every time an election date was announced, it had taken the position that it had to fight as if it were going to vote tomorrow.
In December, Minister in the Office of the President Khumbuzo Ntshaveni said President Ramaphosa must consult the IEC when setting the date for elections, as provided for in the constitution.
“So we don't want the president getting into trouble for violating his oath of office or influencing the decision to set an election date. [which] It remains the sole prerogative of the president,” she told reporters.
The IEC conducted its third voter registration campaign over the weekend, announcing that 564,715 people had registered to vote.
Over the weekend, political parties traveled across the country in a bid to register more supporters.
The IEC has continued to encourage potential voters to register through its online portal.