Former president Jacob Zuma will not be allowed to stand as a candidate for the uMkhonto weSizwe (MK) party in the 29 May elections. The Electoral Commission (IEC) made the announcement while briefing the media on the outcome of the public objection process that took place on Tuesday and Wednesday this week.
The Commission says 31 objections were received from the public, alleging that 8 candidates were not eligible to run for the ballot due to having a criminal record or a conviction.
Seven of these were dismissed.
The grounds for Zuma’s objection was his 15-month sentence handed down for contempt of court in relation to the State Capture inquiry in June 2021.
IEC Chairperson Mosotho 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.
“The Commission could only act within the confines of the law and the constitution this commission has written to the objectors, candidates and nominating parties to advise them of its determinations as required any objector, party or candidate aggrieved by the decision of the commission may appeal the decisions with the Electoral Court by the 2nd of April 2024.”
2024 Elections | Zuma will not stand as MK Party candidate in elections: IEC
The Constitution stipulates that any person who was convicted and sentenced to more than 12 months imprisonment without the option of a fine, is ineligible to stand for elections. All were in agreement on the decision to uphold the objection against Zuma.
Furthermore, Commissioner Judge Dhaya Pillay recused herself from the matter, having presided over the former president’s arms deal case in the Pietermaritzburg High Court previously.
Moepya explains, “The fact relating to Judge Pillay who is a member of the Commission, in the matter affecting the former president, Judge Pillay recused. She recused and I think it’s fundamental because this process is a process that has to be safeguarded and Judge Pillay recused not because we said so but because she understood how these matters relate.”
Arise South Africa
Meanwhile, members of Arise South Africa staged a march outside the offices of the IEC, accusing the electoral body of removing them from the provisional lists without an explanation.
Arise South Africa leader Mpho Dagada says, ” 60 days before the elections, we are being told it’s an administrative error and we have been removed from the ballot. We find this to be nefarious and unfair, the fact it had to get to us coming here to demonstrate in a peaceful march to say why were we removed.”
But the IEC has hit back, saying some political parties did not comply with the requirements to be eligible to contest.
” In the case of Arise South Africa, we on our investigation on doing this have established that indeed they did not comply with the provision that is in Schedule One capital an item 3 which says that ‘When you contest the elections if the National Assembly yoh e got to have candidates on the national to national and as well as at least one regional, they did have candidates on the national to national, they did not have a candidate on the regional to national.”
Six independent candidates will contest for seats in the National Assembly whilst six will contest seats in the provincial legislatures.
Former President Jacob Zuma still has an opportunity to challenge his objection at the Electoral Court by the 2nd of April, thereafter the Court will make its decision on the 9th of April.
