South African politicians were trying to mobilise their supporters on Saturday, the last chance for citizens to register to vote before an imminent announcement of general elections.

Thirty years after democracy replaced apartheid rule, this year’s election will be seen by many as a referendum on the performance of the ruling African National Congress (ANC).

Polls suggest the party may lose its overall majority as memories of the anti-apartheid struggle fade and voters focus on more recent scandals and economic underperformance.

Turnout at voter registration centres in Johannesburg was very low when AFP visited on Saturday, but the mood in the ANC camp was more buoyant as President Cyril Ramaphosa met supporters in Soweto, just outside the city.

“It’s going very well,” he told AFP in a crowd outside the Jabulani Mall, predicting a successful registration drive. Asked when he would name the election date, he smiled broadly: “Soon”.

Some ANC officials in the crowd suggested the announcement could come as soon as Thursday, when Ramaphosa is due to give his annual State of the Nation address to parliament in Cape Town.

Others though pointed to the ANC manifesto launch at the Moses Mabhida Stadium on February 24 as a possible date to make the announcement and launch a more formal campaign.AND THE President Ramaphosa said that he happy that the youth are came in numbers to register he confident that they gonna win Gauteng