Mediamec The uMkhonto weSizwe Party has demanded a written explanation from the Electoral Commission of South Africa (IEC) after it rejected proposed changes to the party’s candidate lists for the November 4 local government elections.
The MK Party questioned whether it had been treated fairly following a Constitutional Court ruling that allowed the ANC to have certain nominations reinstated.
National spokesperson Sifiso Mahlangu said the party had sought to change ward candidate placements, add candidates who had been omitted and remove those who had died.
In its October 20 response, the IEC said the court ruling did not reopen nominations generally. It applied only to nominations already captured on the commission’s online system before the deadline.
The Constitutional Court ruled in the ANC’s favour on October 15, directing the IEC to reinstate 181 candidates. The ANC had argued that their details were entered before the August 28 deadline but had not been submitted in the final step of the process.
The commission later extended the relief to 32 other political parties it judged to be in comparable circumstances.
The MK Party wants to know why its requests were refused and whether it received an equivalent opportunity to have its circumstances assessed. It also asked the IEC to explain the legal grounds for its decision and whether the same criteria had been applied.
Mahlangu said the requested changes had consequences for candidates, party preparations and electoral participation, rather than being minor administrative matters.
The party further questioned whether the ANC had received any procedural accommodation beyond the court-ordered relief and, if so, what legal authority permitted it.
In raising broader concerns about the IEC, the MK Party referred to an interruption of the live results dashboard during the 2024 general elections and the disclosure of candidate lists.
It also cited allegations by Congolese opposition figures that IEC chairperson Janet Love had helped legitimise an allegedly fabricated voter register in the Democratic Republic of Congo.
The party referred separately to fraud, theft and money-laundering charges involving R1.2 million faced by IEC deputy chairperson Nomsa Masuku in connection with her previous employment at Standard Bank.
Mahlangu said the candidate-list dispute had deepened the party’s distrust of the commission and reinforced its demand for transparency and accountability.
The MK Party said it would pursue the dispute through lawful channels and continue supporting the affected candidates. It urged supporters to remain united and disciplined while the matter was being pursued.
