South Africans head to polling stations for crucial general election

By Al Mayadeen English
Source: Agencies
29 May 2024 16:09

South Africa's ruling ANC will face several challenges in regaining the majority in the ongoing election.

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A man casts his ballot paper into the ballot box at the polling station in Alexandra, near Johannesburg, South Africa, on May 29, 2024. (AP)

South Africans are casting their votes for the country's general election, which is expected to push away the African National Congress (ANC) from a three-decade-long majority rule run.

President Cyril Ramaphosa's ANC is facing fierce competition from parties on the right and the left, as the country grapples with high rates of unemployment and crime.

With more than 27 million voters registered for today's election, the left, led by Julius Malema's Economic Freedom Fighters (EFF) and former President Jacob Zuma's uMkhonto we Sizwe (MK Party), is expected to gain a share of ANC's seats in the parliament.

Although Zuma has been barred from running after serving a 15-month prison sentence, the MK Party, which recently regained traction, is hugely popular in the province of KwaZulu-Natal.

Both EFF and MK Party have their roots in the ANC, as both parties' leaders were prominent members of the ANC.

As for the opposition on the other side of the political spectrum, John Steenhuisen's Democratic Alliance (DA) expects that no side will win an outright majority, creating an opening for DA to ally itself with other parties.

On the other hand, Ramaphosa stressed that he has "no doubt" that the South African people will "invest confidence in ANC to continue leading this country."

After casting his vote, the President said that the people of South Africa would give ANC the firm majority.

Although Ramaphosa's government has had its fair share of domestic troubles to deal with, the country has been extremely active in the past year, leading global politics in several fields. Most notably, South Africa led a meticulous lawsuit against the Israeli occupation at the International Court of Justice (ICJ) for the Israeli regime's genocide of the Palestinian people.

Ramaphosa's government could be considered the most active on the international level in representing the Palestinian people.

Moreover, the current South African government hosted the 15th BRICS summit in Johannesburg in late August 2023. The 15th summit drew international attention, as it is thought to have ushered in the buds of a multipolar world order. It also saw the invitation of six new nations to the coalition.