Ace's ACT, 2 other parties want to upend election timetable, but IEC tells ConCourt there must be rules

To have an election at all, there have to be rules, and the Electoral Commission of South Africa (IEC) needs to enforce those rules, it argued to the Constitutional Court where three unrepresented parties, who failed to register for the elections on time, seek to upend the timeframes for the 29 May elections.

Last month, the Electoral Court dismissed the applications of corruption-accused former ANC secretary-general and Free State premier Ace Magashule's political party, the African Congress for Transformation (ACT), Association of Mineworkers and Construction Union (Amcu) aligned Labour Party, Afrikan Alliance of Social Democrats (AASD), All African Allied Congress (AAAC) and prospective independent candidate Sipho Malapane.

They have all failed to register for the elections on time and blamed the online system the IEC uses and asked the court for an extended deadline to register.