Jacob Zuma’s Party Seeks Court Intervention to Halt South Africa’s Parliamentary Session
Jacob Zuma’s political party, uMkhonto weSizwe (MK), has filed a petition with South Africa’s highest court, urging it to block the upcoming session of the national assembly scheduled for Friday, a crucial event where members of parliament are set to vote for the country’s president.
The party, led by the former South African President Jacob Zuma, is boycotting the session, alleging irregularities in last month’s general election without providing evidence to substantiate its claims.
Zuma, a former African National Congress (ANC) leader and an ally-turned-enemy of President Cyril Ramaphosa, accuses Ramaphosa of orchestrating his ousting from the presidency in 2018 due to corruption allegations.
The ANC, under Ramaphosa’s leadership, experienced a significant setback in the recent election, losing its parliamentary majority for the first time since the end of apartheid in 1994.
With only 40% of the vote, the ANC is now in talks with other parties to form a government of national unity. MK, which surprised many by coming third in the election, has emerged as a major player, particularly in Zuma’s home province of KwaZulu-Natal.
Despite its strong showing, MK failed to secure an outright majority in KwaZulu-Natal, and it is the only party to have demanded Ramaphosa’s resignation.
In its legal challenge, MK alleges that the election commission’s declaration of the election results as free and fair was erroneous.
Additionally, it contends that Friday’s parliamentary session would be unconstitutional due to insufficient attendance and demands that another election be called within 90 days.
However, parliamentary officials have dismissed MK’s objections, stating that its interpretation of the constitution is flawed. Despite this legal challenge, the chief justice proceeded with announcing the date for the first parliamentary sitting.
The stance of other political parties, including the main opposition Democratic Alliance (DA), remains uncertain regarding the re-election of Ramaphosa.
While the DA has not confirmed its support for Ramaphosa, it has not ruled out backing him either. Spokesman Solly Malatsi emphasized the focus on negotiations for the formation of governments at national and provincial levels.
