Court to rule on MK party’s election eligibility

The Electoral Court in Bloemfontein is today expected to deliver judgment in a case on
whether the Umkhonto weSizwe (MK) party can contest the upcoming national elections
on May 29. The African National Congress (ANC) is challenging the Electoral
Commission’s registration of the MK party, which former president Jacob Zuma has
endorsed.

The ANC argued that the MK party’s registration was unlawful during court proceedings.
Last week, Umkhonto weSizwe Party leader Jacob Zuma criticized the case brought by
the ANC to the Electoral Court to have his party removed from the ballot paper. Zuma
told supporters that the ANC would not stop them from participating in the elections.

Speaking on the sidelines, Zuma told MK supporters that some of the current ANC
leaders did not even understand how the party’s former armed wing, Umkhonto
weSizwe, was established during the anti-apartheid struggle. MK Party spokesperson
Nhlamulo Ndhlela stated: “We are confident the court will rule in our favour and allow us
to be on the ballot. The ANC’s case is baseless.”

The court’s judgment could have significant implications for the upcoming national
elections.