By OBAKENG MAJE

The president of Republic of South Africa (RSA), Cyril Ramaphosa said the country is ready for the forthcoming General Elections. Ramaphosa was addressing the country on Sunday evening, where many people suggested that might be his last speech as the president of country owing to the much-anticipated elections on 29 May 2024.

He said as this 6th democratic administration draws to a close, the country has travelled together over the last 5 years. Ramaphosa further said tomorrow morning at 9am, in voting stations and homes across the country, South Africans who have registered for special votes will begin to cast their ballots.

“Thousands of South Africans living abroad have already voted. And this Wednesday, 29 May 2024, millions more South Africans will exercise this most important of democratic rights.

“This will be the seventh time that South Africans of all races, from all walks of life, from all corners of our country, will go to vote for national and provincial government,” he said.

Ramaphosa added that, they will once again assert the fundamental principle, articulated in the Freedom Charter, that no government can justly claim authority unless it is based on the will of all the people. He said in the days to come, they will be doing much more than exercising their constitutional right to vote.

“We will be determining the direction that our country takes. We will be taking responsibility for our future, the future of our families, our communities, and our nation. As we cast our votes, we will be vindicating the struggles and sacrifices of the generations before us who fought for this democracy.

“As in every election that we have held since 1994, we expect this election to be held in conditions of peace and stability, to be free and to be fair. We commend the Independent Electoral Commission (IEC) for the impressive work they have undertaken in preparation for these elections,” said Ramphosa.

He said as a country, they have once again witnessed the capabilities of the IEC – in the successful voter registration weekends, in the registration of parties and candidates, in the preparation of ballot papers, in the organisation of overseas voting, and in the diligent application of their electoral laws.

Ramaphosa said he conveyed thanks and best wishes to the IEC commissioners, to the IEC staff and to the thousands of election workers as they deliver on this most important responsibility in the coming days.

“One of the defining features of all our elections since 1994 has been their integrity. This has been made possible not only by the work and conduct of the IEC, but also by the presence of party agents and independent observers.

“The involvement of party agents gives people confidence that there is effective oversight of all aspects of the electoral process. Through the presence of local and international observers we are able to satisfy ourselves that our elections conform not only to our own laws, but also to internationally-accepted standards of freeness and fairness,” he said.

Ramaphosa said they thank all the party agents and the election observers for the work they are doing, and reiterate that they must be allowed to do their work without any hindrance. He said in previous elections, the law enforcement agencies and security services have made extensive preparations to ensure that these elections are peaceful and that all South Africans can freely exercise their right to vote.

“They have been deployed throughout the country to ensure that there are no disturbances or disruptions to the election process. We thank them for their professionalism, their dedication and their vigilance.

“Over the course of the last few months, many different parties and candidates have vigorously and enthusiastically campaigned for votes. While the contestation has been robust and has, at times, become heated, campaigning has been peaceful and free of intimidation,” said Ramaphosa.

He said they commend all parties that have upheld the Electoral Code of Conduct and that have ensured that their supporters adhere to the democratic principles that have long characterised our elections. Ramaphosa said they should all be concerned at reports that came out today about the obstruction of election activities, including unlawful entry at IEC storage sites in KwaZulu-Natal.

“We once again call upon all parties, candidates, supporters and every South African to refrain from any action that could interfere with the due electoral process. Regardless of the outcome, let this election further entrench our democracy and strengthen our commitment to uphold it.

“This election brings to a close the sixth administration of our democracy. When this administration took office in 2019, our country stood at a turning point. We had endured a decade of corruption and state capture, of weak economic growth and the erosion of our public institutions,” he said.

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