Former president Jacob Zuma will be able to contest elections, rules Electoral Court

Former president Jacob Zuma will be able to contest elections for the uMkhonto weSizwe Party (MKP) after the Electoral Court overturned his ban to become a Member of Parliament.

Zuma approached the court after the Independent Electoral Commission of South Africa (IEC) ruled that he could not become a Member of Parliament because of his recent conviction.

The former president was sentenced to 15 months imprisonment for contempt of court in 2021.

Zuma says if he is elected to serve as president again, he will do so.

COURTESY: Facebook - UMkhonto Wesizwe Party

Meanwhile, the court ruled in favour of the request by the Democratic Alliance (DA) to have more voting stations opened abroad. The DA took the Department of International Relations and Cooperation to court, asking to have embassies, consulates and high commissions as voting stations on 29 May. The Electoral Court set aside the decision by the Independent Electoral Commission not to allow the casting of votes at consulates.

According to the DA, it received complaints from South Africans residing in Perth, who sought the opening of the Honorary Consulate as a voting facility.

‘’The High Commission in Canberra claimed that the Perth Consulate could not be utilised for voting as it is “not headed by transferred staff from South Africa. The DA considered this position to be both unlawful and irrational. The party argued that the IEC and the Department of International Relations and Cooperation (DIRCO) should not differentiate between consulates headed by “transferred staff” and those led by honorary consuls,’’ said Helen Zille, DA Federal Chairperson.

‘’For the more than 40 000 South Africans living in Perth, as well as other cities where this judgment will be effective, this is an enormous victory. The DA will monitor the IEC to ensure the practical implementation of this decision, as well as to confirm the number and location of all additional voting stations,’’ she added.

In response to this ruling, the IEC says it will wait for the Electoral Court to issue the reasons that led to the orders

‘’We have taken note of the contents of both orders. Furthermore, we have noted that the orders were issued without reasoned judgement. In order to understand the basis of the conclusions reach in both matters, it is important that reasons are provided. We will accordingly request the Electoral Court to hand down reasons for the orders made,’’ it said in a statement.

‘’Naturally the Commission is taking legal advice on both matters and will chart a way forward based on such advice as well as reasoned judgements that it may receive, hopefully, in the not-too-distant future,’’ it added.

 

Done By: Mitchum George