The Mkhonto weSizwe (MK) party claims the Electoral Commission (IEC) and the Constitutional Court have ignored evidence that supports the party's claims that last month's elections were fraudulent.
Speaking to reporters in Sandton, Johannesburg, former president Jacob Zuma, in a statement read by party spokesman Nhlamhlo Ndlela, said he intended to return to the Electoral Tribunal to challenge the legitimacy of the election results.
The MK party has accused the Constitutional Court of relying on technicalities.
“We have presented concrete evidence to the IEC showing widespread irregularities in the voting process and voting system, but it has all been ignored. We have also tried all peaceful means to redress our grievances, but to no avail. We have approached the highest court in the country, but our case was dismissed without a hearing. They are resorting to technical issues and democracy itself is being destroyed.”
#MK Zuma: Umkhonto weSizwe is on record as strongly alleging that the 2024 elections were rigged and that the results announced by the IEC do not truly reflect the will of the people. #sabcnews
— #LordOfTheMedia (@samkelemaseko) June 16, 2024
“The enemy of progress”
The MP party also denounced the ruling African National Congress (ANC) as an enemy of progress and reiterated its claims that last month's general election, in which it failed to win a majority, was rigged.
The ANC is in the process of forming a government of national unity with the Democratic Alliance, the Inkatha Freedom Party and others.
The party also used the press conference to condemn what it called “Ramaphosa's ANC”.
#MK Zuma: Ramaphosa's traitorous ANC has taken us back to 1948. Millions of our people realised that freedom began with the removal of Ramaphosa's ANC. #sabcnews
— #LordOfTheMedia (@samkelemaseko) June 16, 2024
2024 Election Results | This election was a complete sham: Nhlamulo Ndlela
Progressive Parliamentary League
While the ANC lost its majority in the May 29 election, its Mkhonto we Sizwe party surprisingly emerged as a third-placed candidate, winning 14.6% of the vote and 58 seats in the 400-seat National Assembly.
But MK lawmakers filed a complaint with the country's Supreme Court alleging vote rigging, which the court dismissed as baseless, and boycotted the first session of Parliament on Friday.
Spokesman Nhlamelo Ndlela told reporters that MK would join a coalition called the “Caucus of Progressive Parliamentarians”, which also includes the Economic Freedom Fighters (EFF) and the United Democratic Movement.
The coalition holds about 30 percent of the seats in the National Assembly, Ndlela said.
“This united effort is necessary because the 2024 election has also brought with it a coming together of right-wing and reactionary forces opposed to economic freedom, radical economic change, racial equality and land seizure,” he said.
#MK Mr Zuma: We are part of the Black Caucus and we will soon be announcing a programme for the Progressive Caucus both inside and outside parliament. #sabcnews
— #LordOfTheMedia (@samkelemaseko) June 16, 2024
Ndlela said MK had taken legal advice and decided to seek a seat in Parliament and would continue to raise allegations of electoral fraud in Parliament and in the courts. –Additional reporting by Reuters
