Cape Town – President Cyril Ramaphosa has supported the Electoral Commission (IEC) in its legal battle with former president Jacob Zuma over his election candidacy.
The IEC appealed to the Constitutional Court after the Electoral Court ruled in favour of Zuma’s inclusion on the parliamentary list of the uMkhonto weSizwe (MK) party, challenging the interpretation of a constitutional provision.
Addressing the press during an ANC campaign event in Cosmo City on Saturday, Ramaphosa defended the IEC’s independence and stressed the need to uphold it. He said that he is confident and proud of the IEC’s work and believes that they are not venturing into the political arena.
The president also addressed the MK party’s demand for the resignation of IEC commissioner Janet Love.
MK has released a statement and they are calling for the resignation of the IEC commissioner on the basis of her relationship with Cyril Ramaphosa (unclear is this is true)
This was inevitable after the decision by the IEC to take the electoral court decision to the… pic.twitter.com/i5snWpzzpu
— Africa Research Desk (@MightiJamie) April 12, 2024
“The IEC is an independent entity of our state and we’ve been very proud of the work that’s been done by the IEC over the years, inclusing now, that the IEC is able to consider matters very very carefully, way up, the various options and with this case, I do believe that they have done precisely that.
We must protect and defend the independence of the IEC in the same way we do our courts. pic.twitter.com/QsJ3JRfNKU
— Cyril Ramaphosa 🇿🇦 (@CyrilRamaphosa) April 13, 2024
“So no individual or IEC official should be pointed out as having done this or that. It is the entire IEC commission that has taken a decision and the decision is based, as I have heard and understood it, on bringing clarity to the law so that the Constitutional Court, which is the repository or entity that should interpret our law, can give clarity once and for all,” Ramaphosa said.
This week Zuma criticised both Ramaphosa and the IEC, asserting his right to run for office.
“Where does IEC enter into politics? Their job is to help citizens vote. Who the next president of the nation is is none of their business.
“They saw my name and now they are saying Zuma will never go there,” the ex-president said outside the High Court in Johannesburg on Thursday.
The IEC clarified that its appeal aims to ensure clarity on electoral law ahead of the upcoming elections.
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Compiled by Betha Madhomu
