The uMkhonto weSizwe (MK) Party has condemned the Electoral Commission of South Africa (IEC) for rejecting its request to correct and rectify its candidate lists.
The party said it had submitted a formal request seeking corrections to its candidate nominations, including the placement of ward candidates, omitted candidates and candidates who have since died.
IEC REJECTS MK PARTY’S REQUEST TO AMEND CANDIDATE LISTS
The MK Party said on Tuesday, 20 October, the IEC rejected its requested amendments, maintaining that the ANC versus IEC court case did not reopen the nomination process beyond the limited restoration of nominations that had already been captured on the online system before nominations closed.
The party, led by former president Jacob Zuma, has since demanded that the IEC provide a substantive written report explaining why its requested corrections were rejected, with reasons for each rejection.
It has also called for a clear explanation of the distinction between the relief granted in the ANC proceedings and the corrections sought by the MK Party.
CONCERNS OVER IEC’S TRANSPARENCY
The party has also raised concerns about the IEC’s administration of electoral processes, including the dashboard interruption during the 2024 elections, according to Mahlangu.
“With regard to the party’s candidate list leak in 2024, the IEC confirmed the unauthorised disclosure of candidate lists belonging to the MK Party and ANC, raising serious concerns about the protection of sensitive electoral information,” Mahlangu said.
He also referred to allegations made by Congolese opposition figures against Janet Love, whom they accused of helping to legitimise an allegedly fabricated voter register in the Democratic Republic of the Congo (DRC).
Mahlangu further cited the charges of theft, fraud and money laundering involving R1.2 million faced by the IEC’s former deputy chairperson Nomsa Masuku, relating to her former employment at Standard Bank.
“The importance of transparency and accountability has not diminished. The current dispute over candidate lists reinforces our distrust in the Commission,” he said.