African National Congress (ANC) first deputy Secretary-General, Nomvula Mokonyane, has addressed criticisms regarding the party’s delayed objection to the registration of the uMkhonto weSizwe Party (MK Party).
Mokonyane refuted the notion that there is a specific right time to act, emphasising that action can be taken at any moment.
This response comes in light of the Independent Electoral Commission’s (IEC) assertion that the ANC failed to timely raise concerns about the MK party’s registration within the stipulated 30-day period, as outlined in the Electoral Commission Act.
The ANC’s acknowledgment of this delay is evident in its court submissions, where it seeks condonation for the late filing of its review application. The party maintains that it believed the appeal process would adequately address its objections.
In its application before the Electoral Court, the ANC argues that the Deputy Chief Electoral Officer acted unlawfully by registering the MK party after it submitted additional documents instead of initiating a new application.
Mokonyane criticised the timing of the objections, stating: “There is no appropriate time to act, any moment, any given moment. Worse when you realise that this is being done opportunistically under the guise of saving the ANC or rescuing the ANC, it’s not about rescuing the ANC, it’s opportunism.”
“It’s counter-revolutionary because everybody knows that just as some of them were part of our contestation of the Congress of the People, this one is actually even far-reaching than the Congress of the People because uMkhonto weSizwe is a military organisation, it’s a military wing of the African National Congress,” added Mokonyane.
