South Africa’s ruling African National Congress (ANC) appeared in the Electoral Court in Bloemfontein today to challenge the registration of the uMkhonto weSizwe Party.
According to the ANC, there are procedural errors in the way Deputy Chief Electoral Officer Mawethu Mosery registered the party.
It insists that the MK party was expected to launch a fresh application and not supplement its original and initial application which was rejected by Mosery.
Legal Analyst Reitumetsi Phiri says, “One of the reasons that it’s going to be difficult for the ANC is that it didn’t make proper use of the appeal mechanisms and the objection mechanisms in the Electoral Commission Act. It didn’t object to uMkhonto weSizwe Party’s application to be registered as a political party when it had the ability to do so. When it did eventually belatedly object, the objection was actually dismissed as being irregular.”
“It also did not appeal the registration of uMkhonto weSizwe Party timeously when it should have done so and this is particularly problematic because in this way it could be argued that the ANC has actually given up its right to challenge the registration of uMkhonto weSizwe Party as a political party,” adds Phiri.
Zuma’s decision to support MK added another dimension to the inter-party rivalry. Over the last few months, ANC and MK have traded insults. ANC Secretary-General Fikile Mbalula called Zuma “the most destructive person” for South Africa’s democratic progression and referred to MK party excos as his “chihuahuas.”
The former President was forced to step down as South Africa’s leader in 2018 over corruption allegations and is currently on a prolonged trial for graft. Zuma has been highly critical of the ANC under his successor, South African President Cyril Ramaphosa.
Many South African electorates have been worried about MK’s response to the legal action , especially comments from Visvin Reddy, a party official in KwaZulu-Natal who said in February: “Listen to me very carefully. This country will descend into civil war the day MK is not allowed to campaign and be on the ballot. No one will vote. No one in this country will vote. We will make sure of it.”