Africa-Press. South African President Cyril Ramaphosa announced that the local government elections will take place on November 4.
Ramaphosa stated during a broad meeting of the presidential coordinating council in Boksburg (east of Johannesburg), “I have decided to hold the upcoming local elections on Wednesday, mid-week, which is now set for November 4.”
He emphasized that “voter turnout remains a constant concern for political parties and the state alike; the lower the number of voters, the more worried we are about the state of our democracy.”
He explained that his government’s mission is to increase voter participation by encouraging as many citizens as possible, especially the youth, to register on the electoral rolls and cast their votes. He added, “All we need to do is respect the will of our people, and once the people make their decision, we comply and continue to serve them.”
A report released this week by an advisory team on electoral reform revealed that only 31 percent of voters believe the current system truly reflects the will of the voters, while 53 percent feel that the adopted electoral system makes no difference.
It is noteworthy that the African National Congress received less than 50 percent of the votes in the 2021 local elections for the first time since the end of apartheid in 1994. Three years later, the party lost its parliamentary majority in the 2024 general elections, leading to the formation of an expanded coalition government.
