S. Africa now allows independent candidates in national elections

JOHANNESBURG, South Africa

South African President Cyril Ramaphosa has signed a law allowing independent candidates to run in national elections without having to be affiliated to a political party, his office announced Monday.

The new law comes as opinion polls suggest that the African National Congress (ANC), which has been in power for nearly three decades, will dip below 50 percent in next year's nationwide vote.

Under the current system, voters in legislative elections cast ballots for political parties, and the 400 seats in the National Assembly are allocated to each party under a system of proportional representation.

Each party then distributes its share of seats among selected party members - a system that critics say promotes loyalty and patronage over commitment to a constituency.

The new law gives a space for independent candidates along regional lines, stipulating that in regions where individuals are contesting elections, ballot papers must include their names alongside political parties.

The goal behind the legislation is to reverse a worrying tendency towards apathy as voters shun the long-ruling ANC and the opposition.

The new law "now provides for the inclusion and nomination of independent candidates as contesters to elections," Ramaphosa's office said in a statement.

The changes are "a significant milestone in the evolution of our democracy by expanding electoral participation and widening the pool of leadership choice for the National Assembly and provincial legislatures," Ramaphosa said.

In power since the end of apartheid in 1994, the ANC won the last legislative elections in May 2019 with 57.5 percent of the ballots cast - its lowest-ever share of votes in national elections.

The new law comes as opinion polls suggest that the African National Congress (ANC) will dip below 50 percent in next year's nationwide vote.

Under the constitution, the parliament meets after national elections to choose the president. Usually, a candidate from the party with majority lawmakers wins.

The ANC faces growing discontent fueled by a sickly economy, entrenched unemployment, worsening inequality and an electricity crisis that is leaving leaves swathes of the country without power for hours at a time.

The largest opposition party, the Democratic Alliance, is working towards building a coalition aimed at ousting the ANC in the 2024 elections.