African Union observer mission declares S. African elections peaceful

The South African elections were held in a peaceful environment, said African Union Election Observation Mission (AUEOM) head Uhuru Kenyatta on Friday.

Kenyatta, who is a former president of Kenya, addressed the media about the preliminary report of the South African elections. South Africa held the national and provincial elections on May 29 and counting is still in progress. The AUEOM had 65 observers from 26 African countries. Kenyatta pointed out that the pre-election period showed high tensions and concerns over the potential misuse of social media for spreading fake news, disinformation and misinformation, which could incite violence.

"Despite the challenges and tensions, the 2024 elections were conducted peacefully, demonstrating the resilience of South Africa's democratic processes. South Africans freely exercised their constitutional right to vote and voted peacefully," said Kenyatta.

The AUEOM also commended the Electoral Commission of South Africa (IEC) for its online registration which encouraged youths to register to vote, allowing citizens living abroad to vote and visiting those who are physically challenged to give them a chance to take part in the elections. Over 76,000 registered to vote at 111 foreign missions abroad.

The AU mission will release the final report with comprehensive findings and recommendations two months after the elections.

Goodluck Jonathan, head of the Electoral Institute for Sustainable Democracy in Africa (EISA) International Election Observer Mission (IEOM) said the elections were peaceful. The mission comprised 34 observers from 17 African countries. The public broadcaster provided "equitable coverage for political parties" and candidates specifically during rallies and launching of manifestos, said Jonathan. who is the former president of Nigeria. He commended the IEC for using the Universal Ballot Template that enables voters with visual impairments to vote independently and in secret.

Jonathan said, "The electoral environment was generally peaceful.... The EISA IEOM observed that the final days of the campaigns were conducted in a context that was largely free of fear and intimidation. Voting and counting took place in an open and transparent atmosphere in the presence of observers, party agents and the media. Citizen observers made up 80 percent of observers encountered on election day."