Ramaphosa says he will stick to 15-day deadline to announce election date

President Cyril Ramaphosa reaffirmed his commitment to announcing the election date within the promised timeframe of 15 days, stating that he remains within the self-imposed deadline. According to Vincent Magwenya, Ramaphosa's spokesperson, the president had set February 7 as the date by which he would announce the election date within 15 days. During his address to the Cape Town Press Club on Thursday, Ramaphosa reiterated his adherence to the 15-day deadline and assured that the election date would be announced accordingly. Political parties have been urging Ramaphosa to make the announcement expeditiously. The Electoral Commission of South Africa (IEC) has revealed plans to deploy 68,000 staff members across 23,000 voting stations on election day. With over 350 parties expected to contest in this year's elections, preparations are underway for a significant electoral process. Ramaphosa, while committed to the 15-day deadline, refrained from specifying whether the elections would take place in June or later. The processing of the Electoral Matters Amendment Bill by Parliament is ongoing and expected to be finalized soon. In the midst of election preparations, political parties are launching their manifestos. The African National Congress (ANC) is scheduled to launch its manifesto in Durban next Saturday, following the Economic Freedom Fighters' (EFF) manifesto launch last weekend. The Democratic Alliance (DA) will unveil its manifesto at the Union Buildings this Saturday, with the United Democratic Movement (UDM) and Inkatha Freedom Party (IFP) launching theirs in March.