As South Africans prepare to head to the polls on Wednesday, President Cyril Ramaphosa is calling for a peaceful vote “for progress and development”.

Amid fears of election violence, Ramaphosa revealed that the South African Police Service (SAPS) has undertaken risk assessments and simulation exercises over the last few months in preparation for what he says is a bold reset of the local government system.

“This is one of the biggest electoral contests in our country’s democratic history, with 546 parties and nearly 137 000 candidates. At a time when the political space is narrowing across many parts of the world, democracy in South Africa continues to evolve and mature. We can see this, for example, in the strong participation of women in the electoral process and the proliferation of independent candidates. As a nation we must come together to ensure that the upcoming poll is not marred by acts of violence or intimidation,” he said.

He warned against power struggles among councillors and municipal officials, noting that these have led to violence, killings and council meeting disruptions.

“Sadly, what is supposed to be a democratic contest for the opportunity to serve communities has in some cases become a transactional arrangement. Some councillors who are ‘bought’ by businesspeople often put matters of procurement above the needs of our people,” he noted.

The President stressed the importance of registered voters exercising their democratic right by electing the “right’ people for the job, noting that local government directly affects citizens.

He said this election is an opportunity to improve public trust and turn around local government.

“The voters of South Africa have an unprecedented breadth of choice of candidates and parties. However we vote on Wednesday, let us strive for better, safer, cleaner and more prosperous communities. Let us vote for progress and development,” he said.