MK party ends boycott, to join opposition benches in Parliament

MK party ends boycott, to join opposition benches in Parliament

The Umkhonto WeSizwe party has announced that its 58 MPs who boycotted the first National Assembly sitting will be joining the House soon.

MK leader Jacob Zuma at election results centre 2024
PHILL MAGAKOE / AFP

The party had initially boycotted the first sitting in to raise concerns over what it claims to be vote rigging during the recent general elections. 


It argued that the sitting to elect a new president should be halted until it can challenge the validity of the election results as declared by the Independent Electoral Commission.


It approached the Constitutional Court with an application for an urgent interdict to prohibit Parliament from proceeding with the first sitting, which saw the swearing-in of MPs and the election of the president and speaker.


Party leader Jacob Zuma briefed the media in Johannesburg on Sunday.


The briefing was done through the reading of a statement by party spokesperson Nhlamulo Ndhlela.


"Unity in action is a symbol clarion call, we can no longer afford to be divided when the enemy is uniting against the people

“For that reason, we wish to announce that, after taking legal advice,  uMkhonto WeSizwe will soon occupy its seats in the National Assembly," he said.


Ndhlela says the party will use Parliament to continue to raise their concerns over the alleged vote rigging.


"We shall continue to raise the issue of rigged elections even inside the House, while at the same time, we shall intensify the court actions and other constitutional methods outside.


The protests will continue in other forms, there are many battles ahead, including the total overhaul of the biased voting system itself and the biased IEC," said Ndhlela.


The party was still unhappy with the ruling by the Constitutional Court.


"We presented concrete evidence to the IEC, showing widespread irregularities in the voting process and the voting system, it has all fallen on deaf ears," Ndhela said. 


"We’ve also tried all peaceful means to address our grievances, but all in vain. 


"We’ve even approached the highest court in the land, but it rejected our pleas without even giving us a hearing, and they’re relying on technicalities. At the same time, democracy is being destroyed," he said.


It has now returned to the Electoral Court, asking it to set aside the election results.


In its court papers, the party argues that given the alleged vote rigging, the composition of the National Assembly and the election of the president did not reflect the will of voters.

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