Deputy President Paul Mashatile has dismissed claims by former president Jacob Zuma that the elections will be rigged by the ruling African National Congress (ANC).
Mashatile said South Africa has had successive elections without any claim of electoral fraud.
He said those who say the polls will be rigged, did not have the best interest of the nation at heart.
His comments come a day after President Cyril Ramaphosa also shot down claims by Zuma that the elections will not be free and fair.
Zuma was campaigning for the uMkhonto we Sizwe (MK) party when he made the allegations.
But Mashatile, who was addressing the legislative oversight summit in Cape Town on Tuesday, said that it was not possible to interfere with electoral processes because there will be party agents and observers.
The Electoral Commission of South Africa (IEC) has over the last 30 years conducted free and fair elections.
There has never been question marks on the work done by the IEC over the years.
Those who wanted to spread claims that the electoral process would be interfered with, did not have the best interest of the nation at heart.
“As government, we want to assure Parliament and the international community that we have confidence in our Independent Electoral Commission. We strongly believe that the IEC will deliver free and fair elections in 2024 and beyond as it has done before.
“In this regard, it is necessary to dispel assertions about the legitimacy of our democracy by those who do not have the best interest of our nation at heart. Equally, as public representatives of the people, we must also encourage and educate all individuals, particularly young people about the significance of voting,” said Mashatile.
This was a young democracy and the youth must be encouraged to participate in the electoral and governance processes, he said.
Politics