South Africa’s Electoral Court has given the country’s electoral commission until June 25 to respond to allegations of election irregularities lodged by former president Zuma’s uMkhonto weSizwe (MK) party.
In a ruling on Friday, the court directed the Electoral Commission of South Africa (IEC) and other respondents to file answering affidavits, by 6pm (1600 GMT) on Tuesday, to the MK’s application for an order invalidating the results of recent elections.
In addition, the MK would have until June 27 to file an opposing affidavit.
The MK has asked the Electoral Court to declare the May 29 national and provincial elections not free and fair, and to set aside the results.
Earlier this week the party accused the IEC and the Constitutional Court of ignoring evidence provided to support its claims that the elections were rigged.
In a statement party spokesperson Nhlamulo Ndhlela said the MK wanted the Electoral Court to consider its evidence and pronounce itself on the validity of the election results.
He accused the Constitutional Court of relying on technicalities after the apex court last week dismissed MK’s application to block first sitting of South Africa’s newly elected parliament that was scheduled for June 14, saying it was not “in the interest of justice” to entertain the case by Zuma’s party.
“We presented concrete evidence to the IEC, showing widespread irregularities in the voting process and the voting system, it has all fallen on deaf ears,” Ndhlela said.
He added: “We’ve even approached the highest court in the land, but it rejected our pleas without even giving us a hearing, and they’re relying on technicalities while the democracy itself is being destroyed.”
In the latest application, the MK wants the Electoral Court to order President Cyril Ramaphosa to proclaim a new election date within 90 days of the court’s order.
JN/APA