Stay informed with our live updates on South Africa’s 2024 elections. Get real-time updates, breaking news, and in-depth analysis as the nation votes. Follow along for up-to-the-minute election results, expert commentary, and insights into the voting process.
29/05 10:00 Welcome to the M&G’s coverage of the elections 2024. To kickstart the coverage here’s our dedicated page to elections coverage for your perusal. Our dedicated staff will be taking to the streets across the country to find out how the voting is going. They’ll also be following key players in the political space to see how they make their mark this voting day.
29/05 10:40
WATCH | First time voters Elizabeth and Abigail say it’s important for them to cast their vote because it makes a difference in the progression of the country.
For more updates visit https://t.co/qrjES2r99g #ElectionDay #Elections2024 #SAElection24 pic.twitter.com/nfFa5XJ33Q
— Mail & Guardian (@mailandguardian) May 29, 2024
29/05 10:37 South Africans love a braai. So much so that members of the MK Party allegedly held a braai outside the entrance of the Mpushini voting district at Umbumbulu during special voting. The matter was reported to the IEC and SAPS according to ANC eThekweni’s Thanduxolo Sabelo. He said voting was delayed in the area this morning but it is now underway.
29/05 10:25 Live pictures: we’ve got some footage of some important people in the South African political space casting their vote. See who you can spot below.
29/05 10:10 Is there an effort to undermine the elections?
Photo by OJ Koloti/Gallo Images via Getty Images)
Chief electoral officer Sy Mamabolo told journalists on Tuesday evening that law enforcement agencies had made two arrests, with police investigating two cases of interference with electoral processes.
The IEC head condemned what he said were attempts by some political parties to undermine the IEC’s efforts to deliver free and fair elections. He said while the commission welcomed and encouraged vigilance by contestants and observers in the electoral process, this must be exercised within the confines of the law.
You can read the rest of what he said here.
29/05 10:00 D-day for political parties as South Africans decide who will govern
Millions of South Africans are expected to descend on thousands of voting stations across the country on Wednesday to cast their ballots in what has been deemed the most significant general election since 1994, in which the ANC could lose its majority for the first time.
In what could be a precursor to the main voting day on Wednesday, the Electoral Commission of South Africa (IEC) grappled with many logistical problems during the two days of special voting on Monday and Tuesday.
The IEC said voting stations and home visits totalled 22 626 on the two days, with 937 144 special voters being processed. The commission said this figure was much higher than in previous elections, and lauded the diligence of electoral staff who visited voters at residences and places of confinement.
But some opposition party members who flocked to different voting station sites raised complaints about the credibility of the elections after unconfirmed reports that the police had delivered ballots to some voting stations in KwaZulu-Natal, in contravention of electoral rules.
There have been several court applications in the run-up to Wednesday’s vote.
Former president Jacob Zuma’s inclusion on the ballot as well as his being on a list of candidates contesting for a spot in the National Assembly became a point of contention between the IEC and his uMkhonto weSizwe (MK) party, leading to a challenge which escalated to the constitutional court.
Zuma, who had won an appeal to have his name included as a candidate for the MK party at the electoral court, had this decision overturned by the apex court just days before the elections.
Analysis by private security company Fidelity pointed to a possible security threat in KwaZulu-Natal, following a similar notice by banking group FirstRand, News24 reported. A threat analysis by the police intelligence that circulated on social media in the days leading to the elections also advised of a possible threat to the elections in the province.
The notice said police were working with the South African National Defence Force (SANDF), crime intelligence and private security companies to thwart possible violence, both on election day and after the 29 May polls.
In a statement, the office of President Cyril Ramaphosa said he had informed the National Assembly that 2 828 SANDF members would be deployed for service in cooperation with the South African Police Service (SAPS) to prevent and combat crime as well as to maintain and preserve law and order during the elections.
Read more here
29/05 10:00 While we’re on the topic of the SANDF, here’s a press release from the Presidency.
PRESIDENT EXTENDS EMPLOYMENT OF SANDF TO PRESERVE LAW AND ORDER DURING ELECTIONS
President Cyril Ramaphosa has informed the National Assembly that 2 828 members of the South African National Defence Force (SANDF) will be employed for service in cooperation with the South African Police Service (SAPS) for the prevention and combating of crime and for the maintenance and preservation of law and order during the National and Provincial Elections.
President Ramaphosa has informed the Acting Speaker of the National Assembly and the Chairperson of the National Council of Provinces that the employment of SANDF personnel will form part of Operation PROSPER and applies from 20 May to 7 June 2024.
This employment is authorised in accordance with the provisions of Section 201(2) (a) of the Constitution of the Republic of South Africa of 1996, read with Section 19 of the Defence Act of 2002 (Act No.42 of 2002).
The expenditure for this employment is estimated at R59,451,704.
29/05 10:00 Let us know what your voting experience is like on X @mailandguardian
We don’t care if your thumbs are crusty or perfectly manicured. Make your mark and vote.
28/05 18:00 Last week Richard Calland and Mike Law delivered an excellent analysis piece delving into what could happen this election season. Here’s what they wrote:
The further the ANC slips below 50%, the more permutations are on the table in the scramble to form a multi-party government. And, of course, the more vulnerable the president to the whims of change always lurking in the ANC, waiting for any sign of weakness.
So , yes, finally, change may be upon South Africa. But will the grass be any greener on the other side?
The polling numbers don’t look good for the ANC. But, historically, polling in South Africa has tended to understate the ANC’s support, especially when proper turnout modelling is factored in.
As such, our view is that the ANC is more likely to achieve a result of mid-to-high 40%. And a 50% majority still cannot be ruled out.
28/05 16:00 Still struggling to decide who to vote for, check out what socio-economic & political content creator had to say below.
28/05 15:00
EDITORIAL | Vote with your head this year: We can’t tell you who to vote for — or even any party to vote against. Arriving at a considered decision is your democratic duty. https://t.co/dm7v17U1Ix
— Mail & Guardian (@mailandguardian) May 28, 2024
Special votes, image credit Delwyn Verasamy