ANC says case against MK party matter of principle: ‘We owe it to the fallen cadres’
The ANC has dragged the MK party to the Electoral Court, arguing it didn’t follow due process in its registration application to contest the elections with the IEC.
An African National Congress (ANC) flag flies outside a polling station in Langa, near Cape Town, on 1 November 2021. Picture: AFP
BLOEMFONTEIN - African National Congress (ANC) spokesperson Mahlengi Bhengu-Motsiri says their case against the (uMkhonto weSizwe) MK Party is a matter of principle.
The ANC has dragged the party to court to challenge its registration with the Independent Electoral Commission of South Africa (IEC) on procedural grounds.
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The case is heard by the Electoral Court sitting in the Supreme Court of Appeal (SCA) on Tuesday.
Bhengu-Motsiri said it is an "important day" for the ANC: “We also owe it to the fallen cadres of MK who were responsible for the freedoms we enjoy today to defend this legacy, this asset of the ANC.”
Temperatures in Bloemfontein are expected to peak at 36 degrees Celsius, but clearly, neither the ANC nor MK expects that to deter their supporters.
Expansive staging areas are being set up in and around the precinct where party officials will address crowds later.
There’s a heavy police presence and a presidential security convoy was spotted in the vicinity earlier on Tuesday, suggesting former president Jacob Zuma - who’s found a new political home in the MK Party - will be making an appearance.
Meanwhile, the ANC’s secretary-general Fikile Mbalula is also expected to be there.
The case has been brought on an urgent basis, and so the court should make its ruling relatively quickly.