Freedom Under Law (FUL) has joined the Electoral Commission of South Africa (IEC) in its request for the Electoral Court to provide reasoned judgments over its decision to grant former president Jacob Zuma and the uMkhonto weSizwe Party (MKP) the right to appeal its Tuesday judgment. FUL notes that the Electoral Court's decision on 9 April 2024 overturned a finding of the IEC and allowed Zuma to be included on the list of candidates for the upcoming national elections for the MK political party. The IEC is consulting with its lawyers on the way forward regarding the ruling, which dismissed its objection against MKP leader Jacob Zuma's candidacy as the face of the party.
The Electoral Court ruled in favour of Zuma after he approached the court to appeal against a decision in which he was disqualified from standing for public office. The IEC decided to uphold an objection made against the president's candidacy. The commission is studying the judgment and will chart a way forward. It is unclear at this stage if the commission will appeal the decision, but it is taking legal advice on both matters and will chart a way forward based on such advice and reasoned judgments that it may receive in the future.
MKP spokesperson Nhlamulo Ndhlela said any appeal by the IEC would be seen as a desperate attempt against Zuma and not in the interests of justice. The verdict sends a strong message to the Ramaphosa ANC and its allies that any attempt to subvert the law for political advantage will not be tolerated by the MK Party, its members, supporters, and all the people of South Africa. Political analyst Professor Sipho Seepe said the Electoral Court's judgment had boosted the MKP ahead of the elections.
