Zuma to remain on ballot despite Constitutional Court judgement: IEC

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The Independent Electoral Commission (IEC) has announced that despite Constitutional Court judgement, Jacob Zuma image will remain on the ballot paper to avoid confusion.

The Independent Electoral Commission issued a statement that despite Constitutional Court judgement, Jacob Zuma image will remain on the ballot paper to avoid confusion.

The says it will comply with Constitutional Court judgement clarifying the role of the Commission in qualifying candidates nominated to stand for election to the National Assembly(NA).

On Monday, the highest court in the land ruled that the former president Jacob Zuma is not eligible to run for parliament in the general election on May 29.

The constitutional court found Zuma’s 15-month jail sentence for contempt of court in 2021 disqualified him from standing in the 29 May election, as the constitution prohibits anyone given a prison sentence of 12 months or longer from holding a parliamentary seat.

The Commission had approached the Constitutional Court to seek clarity on whether it had powers to enforce section 47(1) of the Constitution.

The section is about persons who are eligible to be members of the NA.

“Now that the matter has been settled by the highest court and given that the court constitutional uncertainties have been clarified, the Commission can continue with the final preparations for free and fair 2024 national and Provincial Elections (NPE) single-mindedly, without apprehension that the elections are susceptible to challenge,” remarked spokesperson Kate Bapela.

To avoid confusion, she reiterated that the judgement will not affect the ballot papers for the 2024 NPE in any way.

“The photograph of Mr Jacob Zuma will remain in the cluster of identifiers of uMkhonto Wesizwe (MK) Party. The name of will, however, be removed from the list of candidates nominated by MK Party,” Bapela added.

Meanwhile, MK Party spokesperson Nhlamulo Ndhlela said they are not deterred by the judgment.

“This unsurprising decision, while disappointing, has not disheartened us. Instead, it has reinforced our conviction that the current system, where just 10 unelected individuals can make lifetime decisions for 62 million people, is fundamentally flawed.

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“Worse still, in this current case, six of the ten judges were glaringly conflicted, raising serious questions about their refusal to recuse themselves.

“However, we are not deterred. If anything, the People’s Mandate rally has demonstrated that South Africans from all walks of life love the MK Party and President Zuma, and that a two-thirds majority is a reality,” he stated.

Ndhlela called for calm among party supporters and emphasized the importance of maintaining focus
and unity.