CAPE TOWN, March 19 -- President Cyril Ramaphosa on Tuesday urged political parties to refrain from causing disunity among South Africans.
As political parties embark on election campaigns, they should continue to observe democratic values defined by the Constitution, Ramaphosa said as he unveiled Parliamentary Inscriptions on the steps of Parliament.
The inscriptions outline the democratic principles for political parties to observe. These include openness, fairness, reconciliation, unity, accountability, transparency and good governance.
"They are the fundamental values of our democratic society, articulated in our Constitution and celebrated every day in millions of different ways," Ramaphosa said.
It is significant that these principles are being inscribed on the steps of Parliament as South Africans celebrates 25 years of a free and democratic South Africa, said the president.
South Africans will go to the polls on May 8. This will be the 6th election since the end of apartheid in 1994.
As the election is drawing near, certain political parties have resorted to inflammatory political rhetoric against each other.
The African National Congress (ANC) claimed that a smear campaign has also been launched against the ruling party.
The upcoming election is expected to be the most contending since the end of apartheid, as the ANC's national support has been steadily eroded, while support for the opposition Democratic Alliance and the Economic Freedom Fighters has been on the rise.
"Let us all campaign responsibly and do our part to ensure free, fair and credible elections," Ramaphosa said.
"Despite our different political persuasions, these values bind us together and give us our common identity as South Africans," Ramaphosa said.
He called on South Africans to do everything within their power to ensure that the will of the people prevails as they hold their 6th democratic elections.