Daily news update: Ramaphosa’s last pitch, vote rigging and all election campaign photos

Here’s your morning news update: An easy-to-read selection of our top stories. Stay up to date with The Citizen – More News, Your Way.

Daily news update – 27 May

WATCH: Ramaphosa makes last pitch to voters ahead of 2024 elections

President Cyril Ramaphosa said South Africa endured a decade of state capture and corruption in an unusual address that spoke about the highlights and achievement of the sixth administration.  

Ramaphosa was addressing the nation on Sunday evening ahead of the May 29 national and provincial elections in a last pitch to voters in his speech.

The elections are expected to be the mostly contested polls since the dawn of democracy 30 years ago.

The president’s address sounded very similar to the African National Congress (ANC) Siyanqoba rally at the FNB stadium in Soweto on Saturday, rather than a stump speech to the nation. .

Ramaphosa said the elections brings the sixth administration to an end, which took over after ten years of corruption and state capture.

IEC responds to eThekwini ‘vote-rigging’ videos circulated by MK party

With the 29 May election literally on our doorstep, videos circulated by Umkhonto weSizwe (MK) party members of alleged “vote-rigging” in progress have spread like wildfire on social media.

The videos are related to alleged activities at the Independent Electoral Commission’s (IEC) storage sites in Chesterville and Hammersdale in KwaZulu-Natal’s eThekwini metro on Saturday, 25 May.

“These are legitimate and authorised arrangements for the distribution of ballot papers and other bulk material,” the commission explained in a statement released on Sunday.

The security measures put in place involves a police escort for trucks distributing ballot papers to local storage sites which the IEC says will be guarded on a 24-hours basis.

WATCH: DA leader John Steenhuisen tells voters ‘help is on the way’

Democratic Alliance (DA) leader John Steenhuisen said South Africans will decide their own fate on election day and that help is on the way.

Steenhuisen was speaking at the DA’s final campaign rally at Willowmoore Stadium in Benoni, Ekurhuleni on Sunday.

Steenhuisen said the ANC will lose elections.

“The ANC will lose the outright majority is has abused for decades to subject the people of this country to unemployment, corruption and misrule. On Wednesday we close the chapter on the ANC rule.”

The DA leader said the 29th of May 2024 will go down in history as the most consequential day in South Africa since the birth of our democracy in 1994.

WATCH: ‘If Nelson Mandela was around, he would be voting for Bosa’ – Maimane

With just two days left before South Africans go the polls, Build One SA (BOSA) leader Mmusi Maimane has been making news saying late President Nelson Mandela would have voted for the party if he was still alive.

Several political parties including Bosa wrapped up their election campaigns over the weekend ahead of the national and provincial elections on 29 May.

Maimane told Bosa supporters that Mandela’s vision of South Africa had found a new home in Bosa.

“This rally, this moment is us taking that freedom to be free to free us from liberators who want to send us backwards and we are here to say to them if Nelson Mandela was around today, he would be voting for Bosa, for the vision of  a South Africa that works for all the people sit in this room with all the people in this country.”

Maimane told party supporters that if they want him as president of the country, they must vote for Bosa and not vote for their fears.

‘Apply your brains’: IFP leader urges voters to topple ANC; promises graduate grant

in election news from KwaZulu-Natal, Inkatha Freedom Party (IFP) leader Velenkosini Hlabisa has lambasted the ANC government, urging South Africans to “apply their brains” and vote the ruling party out of power.

During his keynote address at the party’s Sizonqoba rally in Umhlathuzi, KwaZulu-Natal, Hlabisa condemned the corruption and maladministration that has plagued the country for 30 years.

“For 30 years South Africa was undermined by those entrusted to fulfil the promise of democracy,” he stated.

Hlabisa singled out individuals fingered in the Zondo Commission Inquiry into State Capture report, accusing them of selling out South Africa for personal gain.

He expressed outrage that these same individuals are now standing for re-election.

48 hours in pictures, 26 May 2024

We bring you a visual snapshot of the day’s news events, including pictures from the ANC, EFF and DA final political rallies ahead of Wednesday’s elections, people visiting the annual Tulip Festival in Russia, Kelly Slate in action during the Shiseido Tahiti pro in Teahupo’o and the funeral of Kabosu, the “Doge” meme dog.

Two new Fujifilm cameras heading to SA in June

In tech news, two new Fujifilm mirrorless cameras alongside a duo of lenses will be making their way to South Africa during June 2024.

This was announced by  Fujifilm South Africa last week which will have photography nerds all excited.

On the camera side, the midrange X-T50 joins the X Series line-up, with the GFX1000S II adding to the growing list of GFX large format cameras.

These are accompanied by two lenses: a new kit lens for the X Series called the Fujinon XF16-50mmF2.8-4.8 R LM WR, and the remarkable GF500mmF5.6 R LM OIS WR which adds considerable range to the GFX series with an expected retail price of R13 000 and R65 000.