According to the DA and the EFF President Ramaphosa has abused his office for political gain. This comes after the president’s address on the national broadcaster on Monday 26 May 2024 evening just two days before the national elections on Wednesday 29 May.

The EFF in its statement issued just minutes after the President’s national address, has called for an investigation into what it called a misuse of the SABC by the President’s office and to avoid similar mistakes in the future.

The DA is calling the president to appear before the Electoral Court by accusing him of abuse of his office for political gain on the eve of the elections. DA accuses the president of using the State of National address to campaign for his party the ANC.

In his address, Ramaphosa detailed the progress made during the sixth administration, including the government’s handling of COVID-19, state capture, and gender violence among others. The president talked about the National Health Bill and other bills that have been signed into law such as the National Council on GBV and Femicide Bill and the NPA Amendment Bill. He further talked about the importance of the elections on Wednesday and the security measures that are in place to fight any acts of violence or sabotage during the election.

The DA’s national leader John Steenhuisen decided to take Ramaphosa to task on this by filing an application in the Electoral Court for violating the Electoral Code.

In his statement Steenhuisen, said it was not the first time, Ramaphosa had chosen his corrupt ANC over South Africa. As the president, he should have known better and must be held to account. This type of abuse cannot be allowed.

In a statement, he said the Electoral Code of Conduct, as contained in the Electoral Act, states expressly that no person may abuse a position of power, privilege, or influence, including parental, patriarchal, traditional, or employment authority, to influence the conduct or outcome of an election. He is further accusing Ramaphosa of undermining the country’s constitutional democracy by trying to hold on to power.

Meanwhile, the EFF only made its concerns around the use of the SABC for political gain, the party accused Ramaphosa of hijacking the national broadcaster in order to score political points.

However, the president’s spokesperson Vincent Magwenya, said the address by the president was not about campaigning for the ANC. The president was being the president of the country and not a party. Magwenya stated that the president was accountable to the nation as the term of the 6^th administration had come to an end. The president did not mention the governing party, nor did he criticized other political parties, said Magwenya.