The uMkhonto weSizwe (MK) party, backed by former president Jacob Zuma, says it will study the Electoral Commission (IEC)’s decision that Zuma will not be able to stand as a candidate of the party in the 29 May elections.
IEC Chairperson Mosotho Moepya announced the decision at a media conference in Johannesburg earlier on Thursday. Moepya says the Commission followed the letter of the Constitution, which stipulates that any person convicted of an offence and sentenced to more than 12 months imprisonment without the option of a fine is disqualified from standing for elections.
MK Party spokesperson Nhlamulo Ndhlela says, “We’ve not received any objection on our end, and pending which we will communicate accordingly. I’m not aware of any such communications at this point. Naturally, it will be to assess what that objection is, get a sense, and get our legal team to look at it- if there is any basis for an objection, and then we can take it from there. So, I wouldn’t be in a position right now to respond to what the merits of that objection are- pending the outcome by the review from our attorney, we’ll then be able to respond accordingly.”
Zuma is the only one of the MK-nominated candidates who cannot run.
The decisions of the IEC regarding the candidate lists can be reviewed up until the deadline of the 9th of April with recourse to the Electoral Court, with the 10th of April being the deadline for the final candidate lists.
