Cape Town – Bonginkosi Khanyile of the MK Party plans to appeal an Electoral Court judgment that found him guilty of breaching the electoral code by threatening to halt the elections.
He was fined R150,000, with the fine suspended for five years.
Judge Esther Johanna Steyn determined that Khanyile and Visvin Reddy violated four electoral laws, including one prohibiting interference with the right to vote.
According to EWN, Reddy predicted riots if MK lost a legal case against the ANC, while Khanyile suggested elections might be disrupted if party leader and former South African presdient Jacob Zuma was excluded from candidacy.
The Electoral Court has slapped the @MkhontoweSizwex’s Visvin Reddy & Bonginkosi Khanyile with an order to pay a R150 000 fine each, suspended for 5 years over remarks they made in March. Court finds that the pair contravened s 87(1) & 87(2) of the Electoral Act #sabcnews pic.twitter.com/cwcW5M4hM8
— Zoleka Qodashe (@ZOLEKV_Q) July 3, 2024
Khanyile disagrees with the judgment, claiming it suppresses his political speech, and intends to file appeal papers next week, Times Live reported.
“One of the conditions in the judgment is that I must not repeat the same sentiments for the next five years. In 2026 we are going for elections, which means on the campaign I must not say anything because I run the risk of revoking this judgment. In 2029 there will be general elections and this judgment will still be effective,” he said.
“It is a wrong judgment. I do not think I incited any violence. If I was going to incite violence, I was going to say: ‘If Zuma is not on the ballot, we are going to disrupt elections and go out and fight’. That is inciting. In my address, I did not say which method am I going to use [to stop] elections. The judgment is silencing my political speech,” the report quoted him as saying.
Follow African Insider on Facebook, Twitter and Instagram
Picture: X/@Lebona_cabonena
For more African news, visit Africaninsider.com
Compiled by Betha Madhomu
