The Electoral Court of South Africa (IEC) has ruled that the registration of former President Jacob Zuma’s Umkhonto Wesizwe (MK) party was within the bounds of the law.
The African National Congress (ANC) had sought to have the MK party’s registration declared unlawful, but the Electoral Court dismissed the ANC’s application.
Delivering the judgment on Tuesday, Judge Lebogang Modiba of the Electoral Court, sitting in the Gauteng High Court in Johannesburg, stated that the ANC’s complaints lacked merit and urgency.
[ ANC Legal Battle Against MK Party: Will Zuma Be On The Ballot Paper? ]
The court also found that it did not have jurisdiction to hear the case. Modiba emphasized that the ANC had failed to explain why it had taken so long to bring the court action, as the party had two opportunities to object to the MK party’s registration.
“The ANC’s appeal on September 7th does not justify the delay in bringing its present application,” Modiba stated. The ANC should have instituted these court actions within three days of the MK party’s registration.
The governing party is expected to react to the judgment and announce its way forward. This decision comes at a crucial time as the ANC and the MK party are set to clash in the KwaZulu-Natal High Court in Durban over the MK party’s alleged copyright infringement.
Zuma, the MK party’s presidential candidate, was suspended by the ANC in January. The ANC had claimed in its court papers, filed earlier this year, that the decision to register the MK party by the IEC Deputy Chief Electoral Officer Mawethu Mosery was irregular.
The ANC argued that if the MK party were allowed to contest elections, it would pose a threat to free and fair elections.
With the Electoral Court’s ruling in favour of the MK party’s registration, the ANC’s attempt to deregister the party has been unsuccessful.
The judgment highlights the importance of timely action in legal proceedings and the need for clear justifications for any delays. The ANC will now need to reassess its strategy and consider alternative approaches in dealing with the MK party.
The outcome of the ongoing legal battles between the ANC and the MK party will undoubtedly shape the political landscape in South Africa.
As the ANC navigates these challenges, it will be interesting to see how the party adapts and responds to the changing dynamics within the country’s political landscape.
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