As the MK Party gears up to challenge the Electoral Commission of South Africa's (IEC) decision to remove its leader Jacob Zuma from the parliament election list, many are advising the former president to accept defeat.
The commission said Zuma could not be included in the list to become an MP because of his 15-month contempt of court jail sentence.
The party is arguing they were not aware of the merits of the IEC’s decision to uphold the prohibition on Zuma standing as one of its candidates for parliament.
The IEC said entertaining the appeal by the MK Party to reinstate Zuma on the list would “spit in the face” of the Constitutional Court which sentenced him to imprisonment.
The IEC upheld 22 objections from South Africans who said Zuma could not go to parliament.
The electoral body has argued the MK Party's legal battle is without merit.
“The MK Party knowingly added Zuma to its list of candidates for the National Assembly and Zuma knowingly accepted [the nomination]. Now they have appealed a decision of the [IEC], arguing there was no ‘conviction’ for the crime of contempt of court,” the IEC said.
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Image: SHIRAAZ MOHAMED
As the MK Party gears up to challenge the Electoral Commission of South Africa's (IEC) decision to remove its leader Jacob Zuma from the parliament election list, many are advising the former president to accept defeat.
The commission said Zuma could not be included in the list to become an MP because of his 15-month contempt of court jail sentence.
The party is arguing they were not aware of the merits of the IEC’s decision to uphold the prohibition on Zuma standing as one of its candidates for parliament.
The IEC said entertaining the appeal by the MK Party to reinstate Zuma on the list would “spit in the face” of the Constitutional Court which sentenced him to imprisonment.
The IEC upheld 22 objections from South Africans who said Zuma could not go to parliament.
The electoral body has argued the MK Party's legal battle is without merit.
“The MK Party knowingly added Zuma to its list of candidates for the National Assembly and Zuma knowingly accepted [the nomination]. Now they have appealed a decision of the [IEC], arguing there was no ‘conviction’ for the crime of contempt of court,” the IEC said.
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