Cape Town — The Electoral Court in ruled in favour of the uMkhonto weSizwe (MK) Party after it found that the Independent Electoral Commission (IEC) acted within the prescribes of the law.
The African National Congress (ANC) had taken the MK Party to court after it felt Zuma’s party did not follow the correct legal proceedings when trying to register the party with the IEC.
TheElectoral Court has dismissed the ANC’s application with Judge Leobogang Modiba saying the application lacked any any merit, was not urgent and that the court did not have any jurisdiction to hear the case, The Citizen reported.
“The ANC failed to explain why the decision was taken for its next court action. The ANC should have instituted these court actions within three days of the MK party’s registrations.” Modiba said,
[BREAKING NEWS] #ANCvMKP: The Electoral Court upholds the IEC’s registration of uMkhonto weSizwe as a political party.#Newzroom405 pic.twitter.com/2272uQh9a1
— Newzroom Afrika (@Newzroom405) March 26, 2024
Modiba said the ANC had no basis and the application was dismissed, saying it was a unanimous judgment of the court, IOL reported.
“We find there is nothing unlawful about registration of MK party by the deputy chief electoral officer,” said the court, adding that the ANC had failed on two occasions to challenge the registration of MK last year.
The Court added that it would have been too late for the MK party to be deregistered and that the ANC had two opportunities to oppose its registration. Modiba said the ANC had itself to blame for failing to challenge the registration of the party.
The MK party also argued that the ANC did not oppose its registration until former president Jacob Zuma announced he was joining the party. Jabulani Khumalo registered the MK party in September last year.
The judgment comes a day before the ANC and MK party lock horns in the KwaZulu-Natal High Court in Durban over the party’s alleged copyright infringement.
uMkhonto weSizwe Party leader Jabulani Khumalo says on June 1, Jacob Zuma will be preparing to form his cabinet. He says the Electoral Court has demonstrated that the courts are no longer biased. This is after the court upheld the IEC’s registration of the MK Party. #Newzroom405 pic.twitter.com/hH4SoGvViO
— Newzroom Afrika (@Newzroom405) March 26, 2024
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Compiled by Matthew Petersen
