South Africa’s President, Cyril Ramaphosa, expressed criticism towards the country’s primary opposition party, the Democratic Alliance (DA), following its request for the United States and European nations to monitor the forthcoming elections. The DA forwarded this request in a missive dispatched last week to US Secretary of State Antony Blinken and several European foreign affairs ministers.
President Ramaphosa, as quoted by state broadcaster SABC, remarked, “The DA’s letter to the United States government is quite disingenuous and it is almost trying to sell our country to other powers in the world.” He emphasized the existing regional and international mechanisms, such as Sadc, AU, and the UN, routinely engaged in monitoring South Africa’s electoral processes, casting doubt on the necessity for external involvement.
The ruling African National Congress (ANC) also censured the DA’s letter, condemning it for potentially compromising “South Africa’s sovereignty on a silver platter.” South Africa is scheduled to hold elections on May 29th.
According to surveys conducted by research firms, there is speculation that the ANC’s portion of the vote might decline below 50% for the first instance since assuming power in 1994. This erosion of support is attributed to widespread discontentment with the economy, public services, and corruption.
