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Former president Jacob Zuma has praised the recent legal triumphs of the uMkhonto weSizwe Party (MKP) in its battle to remain a registered party and retain his candidacy for a parliamentary seat in the highly anticipated 29 May general elections.
On Thursday, Zuma said the courtroom victories of MKP's had proved it was a force to be reckoned with in the country's political landscape and called on the Electoral Commission of SA (IEC) to uphold fairness in its treatment of all parties.
He said:
The former president made the remarks outside the Johannesburg High Court when he addressed a crowd of MKP and EFF supporters in isiZulu after his private prosecution case against President Cyril Ramaphosa was postponed to 6 August.
READ: Zuma rides again! - Electoral court clears former president to stand as MKP candidate in elections
Zuma appeared briefly in court as his legal team, led by Advocate Dali Mpofu, gave an update on his bid to appeal the Supreme Court of Appeal ruling last July that interdicted him from pursuing the private prosecution of his predecessor.
Zuma accused Ramaphosa of being an accessory in his case involving State Advocate Billy Downer and journalist Karyn Maughan, whom he accused of sharing his confidential medical information contained in public court documents.
Legal victories of MKP
Zuma praised his party for prevailing in its legal battle over its registration with the IEC, which was challenged by the ANC on procedural grounds. He also celebrated the recent decision by the Electoral Court, which ruled against the IEC's objection to his candidacy in the upcoming polls, based on his criminal record.
He criticised the IEC for disqualifying him due to his contempt of court conviction in 2021. He insisted that he had committed no crime, saying the IEC had no right to invoke section 47 of the Constitution, which disqualifies a party candidate who was sentenced to more than 12 months in prison without the option of a fine from contesting elections.
READ: MKP says removal of Bonginkosi Khanyile will boost its chances for two-thirds majority
Zuma was sentenced to 15 months in prison, but, in August last year, Ramaphosa gave him a remission of sentence after serving just three months.
He said:
Trademark case
Zuma was also confident that the MKP would win the trademark case in the Durban High Court brought by the ANC against the party for using the name and logo of its now-defunct armed wing, uMkhonto weSizwe. He said the MK did not belong to the ANC, but to South Africans as a liberation army.
“I have never finished two terms as president as I was recalled by the ANC. I didn’t fight back, I resigned. I have established my own party and this is not the ANC. There is no law that says once you have left a party and started your own party, you can’t stand for elections. Even if I had completed two terms in office, there is no law barring me from standing for elections in a democracy,” he said.
Two-thirds majority
Zuma called on his supporters to back the MKP at the polls, promising a resounding victory with a two-thirds majority. If elected, Zuma vowed that the party's priority would be to guarantee transparent voting practices, saying that citizens should feel open to disclosing their voting preferences without apprehension.
He added:
Ramaphosa's absence in court
Turning to his predecessor, Zuma railed against Ramaphosa, claiming that he was being treated favourably by the judiciary by not appearing in court for the private prosecution matter.
Zuma called on Ramaphosa to appear in court when the case resumes in August. He said, like all accused persons, the president should lead by example.
He said:
“Ramaphosa doesn’t follow the law even though he has a case to answer. He is the only one I know who isn’t allowed to appear in court when charged. However, we are forced to appear in court,” he added.
Zuma also came for Ramaphosa and the ANC over the governance of the country. He claimed his tenure was successful until 2018, stating that even load shedding had been resolved. But under Ramaphosa's leadership, load shedding had reemerged, he said.
Zuma wanted to prosecute Ramaphosa for failing to investigate or take necessary steps to bring Downer and Maughan to justice and this made the president an accessory after the fact. In July last year, the court declared that Zuma's private prosecution of Ramaphosa was unlawful and unconstitutional. Zuma lodged an appeal.
