Retired President of Kenya Uhuru Kenyatta has held several meetings in Johannesburg, South Africa as the head of the African Union Election Observation Mission (AUEOM), in preparations for the upcoming General Elections scheduled for May 29, 2024.
In a statement by the Office of the 4th president of Kenya noted that Uhuru met various church representatives from South Africa Council of Churches (SACC) and the South Africa Minister of Home Affairs Aaron Motsoaledi.
“The head of the African Union Election Observation Mission (AUEOM), former President Uhuru Kenyatta, held several meetings in Johannesburg, South Africa, as part of the preparations for the upcoming General Elections scheduled for May 29th,” reads part of the statement.
Uhuru Kenyatta also held a meeting with the National Operational and Intelligent Structure (NATJOINS) led by South African Police Service Major General Mashadi Selepe to discuss security measures for the upcoming General Elections.
Kenyatta also held discussions with South Africa’s Chief Justice Raymond Zondo, on the role of the judiciary’s in upholding the rule of law and ensuring fair and transparent resolution of any electoral disputes.
The former head of state also met the Media Monitoring Africa (MMA), a media organization in South Africa expected to promote ethical, fair and impartial media coverage during the Wednesday 29 elections.
Aim of Uhuru Kenyatta Meetings in South Africa
These meetings according to Kenyatta’s office highlight a comprehensive approach to election observation, involving religious organizations, media watchdogs, and government officials.
Further, these meetings underscore Africa Union’s (AU) commitment to supporting member states in upholding democratic principles and promoting stability across the continent.
“These strategic meetings highlight a comprehensive approach to election observation, involving religious organizations, media watchdogs, and government officials,” the statement reads in part.
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The May 29, 2024, general polls will be South Africa’s seventh general election since the end of white minority rule 30 years ago.
A record 27,672,264 million people are registered to vote, the highest number to date, according to the Independent Electoral Commission (IEC.)
SA General Elections
The upcoming general elections will feature 3 ballot papers and voters are positioned to pick from the total 70 political parties and 11 independent candidates who will contest in the national and provincial elections.
The national ballot will have 52 parties listed.
Moreover, there are 400 seats in the National Assembly that are divided into two parts, a national compensatory ballot, and a national regional ballot.
The first ballot, called the national compensatory ballot, is the same across the entire country and is made up of political parties only, contesting for 200 seats for national representation.
The second ballot for the National Assembly involves electing representatives for the remaining 200 seats, for the nine provinces, which each have a predetermined number of seats.
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The candidates vying for these positions include political parties as well as independent candidates.
The third, provincial ballot, is for electing members to voter’s respective provincial legislatures, with the number of available seats differing from one province to another.
Once the winner has been decided on election night usually in the early hours of the following day the presidency will then be awarded to the leader of the successful party.
Main Party Contenders
In the previous six elections the Africa National Congress (ANC) party has generally polled over 60% every time, however, its vote share has fallen steadily since its highest percentage of 70% in 2004.
South Africa’s main opposition is the center-right Democratic Alliance (DA) led by John Steenhuisen, who has suggested he would be willing to form a coalition with the ANC if his party doesn’t secure a majority.
The third largest party in parliament is the Economic Freedom Fighters (EFF) led by controversial former ANC member Julius Malema
There is also the uMhonto Sizwe (MK) Party, led by former South African President Jacob Zuma, who was ousted in 2018 after facing corruption allegations.
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