The Democratic Alliance (DA) says despite losing its bid at the Constitutional Court, the party will respect its decision on the upcoming local government elections.
On Monday, the apex court dismissed the DA’s application to have the Independent Electoral Commission’s (IEC) decision to reopen the candidate nomination process declared unlawful.
(2/2) The Democratic Alliance’s application is dismissed. (CCT 245/21 Democratic Alliance v Electoral Commission of South Africa v Minister of Cooperative Governance and Traditional Affairs and Others) pic.twitter.com/ILqKm3jJ1y
— Constitutional Court (@ConCourtSA) September 20, 2021
(1/2) Judgment: The Constitutional Court held that the decision of the Electoral Commission to re-open the candidate nomination process for the 2021 municipal elections, in terms of this Court’s order issued on 3 September 2021, is not unconstitutional, unlawful and invalid.
— Constitutional Court (@ConCourtSA) September 20, 2021
The party believes the decision privileged parties such as the African National Congress (ANC) and United Democratic Movement (UDM) that were unable to submit their candidates before the deadline closed in August.
DA leader John Steenhuisen was speaking during a virtual media briefing.
“It is not the outcome that we wanted but we respect the court judgment. We have had a very successful registration weekend. We are very pleased that we were able to reach a number of the targets that we set and now the focus has to be on the elections going forward.”
“But at the same time, we are going to put the IEC on notice that we are going to be watching them like hawks. We remain of the view that they made the decision to reopen the candidate nomination to favour the ANC,” he explains.
UDM welcomes court ruling
The UDM has welcomed the ConCourt’s judgement.
UDM leader Bantu Holomisa says, “You will remember that as early as August 24, we wrote a letter to IEC asking for them to extend the registration of candidates as we didn’t have enough time to do so. So we welcome this and the DA must go and campaign and compete with other people.”
In the video below, the UDM leader speaks to SABC News:
ConCourt may have erred: IFP
The Inkatha Freedom Party (IFP) says despite it accepting the ConCourt’s latest decision, the party believes the apex court may have erred in its judgment.
IFP spokesperson, Mkhuleko Hlengwa says, “We note the judgment and because we respect the apex court, we will accept it. But we fundamentally believe that the ConCourt has erred in this judgment.”
“There was the unsubstantive legal basis upon which they could have and should have ruled in favour of the DA, which we had supported. Be that as it may, we are ready for the elections and we are in full swing with the election campaign,” he adds.
IFP reacts to ConCourt decision:
Election date gazetted
The Co-operative Governance and Traditional Affairs Minister Dr. Nkosazana Dlamini-Zuma has gazetted the election date for November 1.
This means that the voter roll will be sealed at midnight and political parties have until Tuesday to submit their candidate lists to the Independent Electoral Commission (IEC).
According to the IEC, over 600 000 people registered to vote this past weekend whilst over 39 000 people used the online registration voters system which will close at midnight on Monday night.
Dlamini-Zuma says, “I am hoping for much greater youth participation because I think voting is their right which they need to exercise and equality is also their responsibility. If you don’t vote, say for argument’s sake, nobody pitches up to vote, what happens to our democracy? They shouldn’t really feel that it is ignored if they don’t vote because it won’t be there. If they vote, their voice will count and it will determine who gets in and who doesn’t.”
November 1 gazetted as the election date
