On May 29, citizens are called to the polls to choose their representatives within the National Assembly (which will then elect the president) and within the regional councils. But, for the first time, the party in power for 30 years, the ANC, could fall below 50% at the national level, which would force it to form a coalition.
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With our correspondent in Johannesburg, Claire Bargelès
To help the African National Congress convince voters in this campaign which is struggling to take off, Thabo Mbeki finally agreed to join the ranks of activists. With the release of a book which brings together his thoughts on the country, the man who presided over South Africa from 1999 to 2008, has, in recent days, been meeting South Africans. Traveling to Soweto, he called on his audience to vote for the ANC, promising that the party would now be able to transform itself.
Other figures, like Nkosazana Dlamini-Zuma, are also campaigning in the key region of KwaZulu-Natal, the stronghold of her former husband, Jacob Zuma. The ex-president and his new party, the MK, represent the biggest unknown in these elections.
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Finally, the president Cyril Ramaphosa himself multiplies his appearances on the ground, while his image remains better perceived than that of his party. In a recording that leaked to the press, we can also hear his annoyance at the lack of energy and physical presence of other party heavyweights. The latest Ipsos poll puts the ANC at just above 40%.