Zuma’s face will appear on the 2024 ballot papers: IEC

The Independent Electoral Commission (IEC) has confirmed that former President Jacob Zuma’s face will appear on the ballot papers in the upcoming polls as the leader of the MK Party.

Today, the IEC announced that it will now go ahead with the printing of ballot papers for the elections, despite its latest appeal to the Constitutional Court seeking clarity on the Electoral Court’s decision to set aside Zuma’s disqualification.

The IEC is seeking clarity on whether the commission went beyond its scope of authority in invoking Section 47(1)(e), which barred Zuma from contesting the polls due to his previous conviction.

The commission also wants to know whether remission of sentence amounts to the reduction of the sentence as ordered by the court of law.

The former president, who was sentenced to 15 months in prison for contempt of court, was granted a remission by President Cyril Ramaphosa.

IEC’s CEO, Sy Mamabolo, says clarity is needed for future elections.

Despite assertions of political meddling in the IEC, ANC and South Africa’s President, Cyril Ramaphosa, has defended the commission saying it’s not venturing into the political arena.

The President maintains that he is confident and proud of the work of the IEC.

We must protect and defend the independence of the IEC in the same way we do our courts. pic.twitter.com/QsJ3JRfNKU

— Cyril Ramaphosa 🇿🇦 (@CyrilRamaphosa) April 13, 2024

The commission says it has not looked into the MK Party’s call for Commissioner Janet Love to resign.

The party is accusing her of being a loyal serving member of the ANC and a close confidante of President Cyril Ramaphosa.

It says Love prematurely declared that Zuma will not be allowed to contest the upcoming polls in January.

The IEC’s Mamabolo says whether Commissioner Love prejudged the issue of Zuma’s candidacy, which may warrant her recusal, is among some of the points they are seeking clarity on from the Apex Court.

Mamabolo, however, believes there is no basis for the calls for the Commissioner to step down due to a lack of substantial evidence of misconduct on her part.

What’s different with year’s elections?

The country’s 27.9 million registered voters will for the first time in history receive three ballot papers as independent candidates have now been allowed to contest.

There are a total of 400 contested seats in the National Assembly. Of those seats, 200 will be contested by political parties only – while the remaining regional or province-to-national 200 seats will be contested by independent candidates and political parties.

Yesterday, the IEC opened applications for special votes, which will close on the 3rd of May.

Special votes will also be administered at South Africa’s diplomatic missions abroad to service 58 000 registered voters.