IEC tells court ANC too late to challenge MK registration
The Independent Electoral Commission believes
the ANC failed to challenge the registration of the uMkhonto we Sizwe party on
time.
The governing party has gone to the Electoral Court in Bloemfontein, seeking to invalidate the MK party's registration.
It argues it was unlawful for the MK party to be registered based on a supplemented application.
The ANC is also accusing the MK party of using a trademark associated with it.
The IEC's legal representative Terry Motau has warned against a ruling that could encourage negligence, advising the court to avoid opening the floodgates for such practices.
"As of the 11th, they knew of the decision which they said they didn't need to go to the election commission and of course, the argument has to be its legality.
"As a matter of fact and law, the deputy chief electoral officer's decision was appealed and there is a decision, which is why MK as a political party enjoyed this thing of registration and recognition."
The ANC legal counsel Tshidiso Ramogale earlier argued that Deputy Chief Electoral Officer Mawethu Mosery's decision to register the MK party was irregular.
READ: MK Party urges Electoral Court to uphold IEC registration
"There are questions regarding the legality of a party on the particular ballot and whether that party should be there in the first place. So we say that's not an issue that the court should turn away from, it's the very thing that this court was established to decide, to protect free and fair elections. To protect the right to franchise and importantly withhold the rule of the law."
Meanwhile, political analyst Imraan Buccus has shared his views on an election survey that predicts the MK party will overtake the EFF in the general elections.
The Brenthurst Foundation released the results earlier this month.
The survey was modelled on the 66% turnout of the 2019 General Election.
Buccus says while he doubts MK will edge the EFF out of third position, it's a force to be reckoned with, especially in KZN.
He says other parties should be worried.
"One of the things about this party is that it's built around the figure of Jacob Zuma. And that is a huge danger of the party imploding, once that figure is no more or pushed to the periphery somehow.
"I think if you have to ask people about major figures in MK, most people are likely to just point at Zuma, of course, there's been some recent defections from the ANC."
