South Africa’s Constitutional Court has dismissed an application by former President Jacob Zuma that sought the postponement of presidential elections scheduled for Friday.
Zuma, leader of the uMkhonto weSizwe party (MK), had alleged vote irregularities in the May 29 parliamentary elections.
His party, formed just last year, surprised many by securing 58 parliamentary seats to become the third largest party in Parliament behind the ruling African National Congress (ANC) and the opposition Democratic Alliance party (DA).
On Wednesday evening, South Africa’s top court ruled that the MK party’s application was a “self-created” urgency and lacked merit.
The court added that the MK neither presented any evidence backing its claim of irregularities in the polls nor did it prove how it would suffer irreparable harm if the interdict were not granted.
South Africa’s 400 members of Parliament will vote for a president on Friday, with the winner requiring at least 201 votes. President Ramaphosa is expected to continue in office.
ANC scored 40% in the recent elections, forcing it to seek coalition partners to form a government for the first time in three decades.