Letter: Will the ANC try to postpone 2024 elections? - BusinessLIVE
Allan Wolman asks whether the ANC, given its plummeting polling values, freshly minted state of disaster and steadfast friendship with Russia, might be machinating to avoid facing the electorate in 2024 (“Is the ANC mulling a suspension of next year’s election?”, February 16).
He is right to ask the question and the risk deserves attention, but we can take some comfort in the fact that the Constitutional Court smacked down the Electoral Commission’s attempt to delay the elections during a state of disaster in 2021. The ANC’s appetite for a repeat serving might well be diminished.
Still, this is not the time to be complacent. Opposition parties and civil society organisations must start planning now to ensure that the 2024 polls are free and fair.
They should also be concerned about the Electoral Amendment Bill, which — as it is now constituted — could allow the ANC to secure a parliamentary majority with less than 50% of the vote and is likely to face constitutional challenges if the president signs it into law.
John Endres
CEO, Institute of Race Relations