By Lehlohonolo Lehana.
The Constitutional Court has granted Jacob Zuma and his uMkhonto we Sizwe Party until next Tuesday to file answering affidavits in the application by the IEC against the Electoral Court’s order.
The extension was granted after Zuma and his party had written to the apex court to grant them an extension until April 30.
The deadline for Zuma and the MK party to file answering affidavits was Thursday, after the Constitutional Court issued directions to both parties.
But the lawyers said the deadline given by the highest court was “short” and they would not be able to file their affidavits by Thursday.
In response, the Constitutional Court said Zuma and the MK party would have until the end of April to file their answering papers to the IEC appeal.
“The Deputy Chief Justice has issued the following directions: Respondents that are opposing the application must file answering affidavits on or before Tuesday, April 30. Further directions may be issued,” said the Constitutional Court in the new directions.
Zuma and his party’s legal team are yet to indicate it has acknowledged the extension.
They are contesting the decision of the IEC to challenge Zuma’s candidacy.
This was after the Electoral Court ruled that Zuma can stand as a candidate in the elections.
In court papers filed by the MK party, they claimed the IEC prematurely judged the issue around Zuma’s participation in the elections and could therefore not have arrived at a different or fair outcome.
The IEC had decided that Zuma was not eligible to stand for Parliament because of his conviction and sentence.
The Electoral Court had not provided reasons when it ruled in favour of Zuma to take part in the elections.
The Electoral Commission is seeking clarity from the court on Zuma’s eligibility to run for public office before 5 years has lapsed since he was convicted of defying a Constitutional Court order.