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South Africa to Hold 4th Post-Apartheid General Election April 22

by Tina Kells | February 10, 2009 at 01:27 pm

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South Africans will be going to the polls on April 22, 2009 in the fourth general election since the fall of apartheid. The African National Congress will test its political strength during the April 22nd election when it goes up against the Congress of the People which was started by former ANC party members.

“We have agreed on this date with the Independent Electoral Commission and all the provinces,” President Kgalema Motlanthe told Parliament in Cape Town today. “With this coming election, the maturation of our democracy receives yet another shot in the arm.”
The ANC won almost 70 percent of the vote in the last elections in 2004 and its leader Jacob Zuma, 66, who faces charges of fraud, corruption, racketeering, money laundering and tax evasion, is favorite to become president after the vote. Zuma will go on trial in August and denies any wrongdoing. Motlanthe, 58, was temporarily assigned the top post in September last year following the ANC’s decision to oust Thabo Mbeki, 66.

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wooze66

at 22:23 on February 10th, 2009

The election posters for the 2009 South African elections are starting to hit the streets. First up in Johannesburg are the ANC posters with the simple slogan translated into different languages "working together we can do more".

wooze66 has contributed a photo to this story.

raubachb

at 23:44 on February 10th, 2009

A colleague and myself where in Port Elizabeth to photograph the Congress of the people (COPE) Manifesto launch at the Wolfsom Stadium. There were at least 40 000 to 50 000 people at the event. The atmosphere was so much better than the ANC Manifesto launch in East London 2 weeks before.
I found the Cope management team to be approachable, all with little or no real ego's and certainly not puffed up with their own self importance, I think what I am saying is that there was a humbleness about the people like Lekota and Odendaal that I never experienced with ANC event.
Picture by: Bazil Raubach

raubachb has contributed a photo to this story.

temoso lekhuleni (not verified)

at 10:12 on April 19th, 2009

are there any differences between the 2004 elction to the 2009 election and if there are, what are they?if there are not any improvements, why ? change is needed and i think the society can do better and by change i mean change in partie.....hence ANC has to step away and let other parties a take the the priveledge of ruling the country ethically, without any scandals