By Lehlohonolo Lehana.
The Independent Electoral Commission of South Africa (IEC) noted the Electoral Court’s order on Jacob Zuma’s candidacy, as well as an order upholding the Democratic Alliance (DA) application to allow voters to cast their ballots at honorary consulates abroad.
The IEC disqualified Zuma over his 2021 conviction and jailing for contempt of court. He was sentenced to 15 months after he refused to testify to a panel investigating corruption under his government, the IEC also told SA missions to ask their host countries to provide voting booths and ballot boxes when SA citizens abroad cast their votes.
However, the Electoral Court overturned the decisions.
In a statement issued on Tuesday evening, the IEC said it noted the Electoral Court’s order on Zuma’s candidacy, as well as another order upholding the DA’s application to allow voters to cast their ballots at honorary consulates abroad rather than just high commissions or embassies.
“Furthermore, we have noted that the orders were issued without reasoned judgment. In order to understand the basis of the conclusions [reached in both matters, it is important that reasons are provided. We will accordingly request the Electoral Court to hand down reasons for the orders made, “said the IEC.
“Naturally the Commission is taking legal advice on both matters and will chart a way forward based on such advice as well as reasoned judgements that it may receive, hopefully, in the not-too-distant future.”
Judges listened to arguments for and against Zuma’s disqualification from standing for public office on Monday morning at the Electoral Court, sitting at the Johannesburg Division of the High Court in Gauteng.
The MK party took the IEC to court as it believed there was a “deficiency” in the objections to Zuma being a candidate on the parliamentary list.
MK party spokesperson Nhlamulo Ndhlela said, “This is a spiritual process, the MK party, for it being established as a catalyst for change, is really a blessing for our people.”
He said the party continued to emphasise that people “want president Zuma back inside the Union Buildings as the president. The people want him there. People are tired of the status quo under the Cyril Ramaphosa-led government.
“We want lights, we want water, the people want homes. We will continue on our journey to get a two-thirds majority [to change the Constitution so Zuma can serve a third term]. This is important for our members, downtrodden citizens of our country who want to see change,” Ndhlela said.
He insisted that IEC commissioner Janet Love should have resigned after showing her alleged bias regarding Zuma’s participation in the elections.
In January, Love confirmed at a press briefing that Zuma did not meet the requirements to register as a candidate to stand in this year’s elections.
MK is projected to receive substantial support in the eastern province of KwaZulu-Natal, which is Zuma’s home region.
Opinion polls show that the ANC which has been rocked by several corruption scandals, could lose its absolute majority in parliament for the first time since the end of apartheid in 1994.