Johannesburg - The ANC has hailed the Electoral Commission of South Africa’s decision to reject objections lodged against party candidates who are facing allegations of wrongdoing.
On Tuesday, the IEC announced that it had dismissed almost all 52 objections to candidates of political parties, as the complaints were not in keeping with the constitutional and statutory criteria which permitted for such objections.
The IEC said it would not remove any candidates from the current lists of representatives for the National Assembly and provincial legislatures if questions around them were only around their integrity and allegations against them.
ANC national spokesperson Dakota Legoete said the governing party felt vindicated by the outcome, adding the party had confidence in the integrity and credibility of its list processes.
“We hope the IEC decision will put to rest the vilification campaign that has been unfairly waged against some of the candidates. We call on South Africans to respect this outcome and to defend the right of every qualifying South African to participate in the electoral process,” Legoete said.
The ANC (with 29 objections), the EFF (13 objections) and the BLF (19 objections) had the most objections but defended their candidates by sending written representations to the IEC.
IEC commissioner Mosotho Moepya said while many objections were lodged, the body had no power to remove candidates from party lists without the prescribed criminal convictions in terms of the law.
Former PAC president Alton Mphethi became the only candidate whose objection was upheld due to his 2016 criminal conviction.
PAC secretary-general Apa Pooe said Mphethi undertook to appeal the conviction, but had failed to do so.
Political Bureau
