MK Party challenges IEC objection deadline as eThekwini results dispute grows

The MK Party raises concerns about delays in capturing eThekwini election results, questioning the IEC's objections deadline while vote counting remains under way during a media briefing in Durban.

The uMkhonto weSizwe (MK) Party has called for changes to electoral legislation to give political parties more time to lodge and resolve objections before the Electoral Commission of South Africa (IEC) announces the final results, amid concerns about delays in capturing votes in eThekwini.

MKP secretary-general Lindiwe Mtshali raised the concerns during a media briefing at the IEC's KwaZulu-Natal Results Operations Centre (ROC) on Saturday, questioning why the deadline for submitting objections had arrived while vote counting was still under way.

Mtshali said the party was concerned about the slow capturing of results from areas where it had strong support, particularly Umlazi and KwaMashu.

"There was a concern from our members and our voters that the results of eThekwini seem to be trickling in very slowly, especially from our strongholds. I think so far areas like Umlazi and KwaMashu had not been counted," she said.

The party said it had received more than 60 objections and wanted to engage the IEC over complaints raised by its members and voters.

The concerns came after the MKP lodged a formal objection with the commission over alleged system failures at the eThekwini ROC, discrepancies between electronically captured results and physical results slips, and problems with the counting, verification and reconciliation processes.

IOL previously reported that the party had called for disputed results to be frozen pending an audit, an independent forensic examination of the IEC's systems and the resolution of outstanding errors before the final results were declared.

The party also questioned the IEC's decision to set a 5pm deadline for objections while counting was continuing, arguing that political formations needed sufficient time to identify irregularities and have their complaints addressed.

Mtshali said the party wanted the IEC to engage with it and address the concerns before proceeding with the formal announcement of the results.

Meanwhile, MKP first deputy president Duduzane Zuma said it was unfair to assume that the party's members did not understand what was happening with the election results, saying the leadership was inundated with complaints from members on the ground.

The party had a responsibility to keep its structures informed about the concerns being raised and the steps being taken to address them.

Zuma said the party had a right to express its dissatisfaction with the electoral process and wanted to take its members into its confidence by explaining the leadership's position.

He added that the party expected the IEC to meet it and respect the processes through which political formations raised their concerns.

Zuma also said he was being taken to the electoral court on Thursday by the IEC. It is thought this is over comments he has made.

MK Party senior leader Dali Mpofu said the party was receiving various complaints from its structures and members on the ground, with some serious concerns still outstanding.

He said the party had not ruled out approaching the Electoral Court if the IEC failed to address the complaints.

"We have not yet ruled anything out. People on the ground are really angry," Mpofu said.

However, he cautioned against comparing the current dispute with the litigation that followed the 2024 national and provincial elections, saying the circumstances were different.

Technical glitches during the 2024 elections had contributed to the legal disputes that followed, and the party was still processing complaints relating to the current counting process, he said.

Mpofu also defended the right of MK Party supporters to protest, saying there was nothing wrong with members demonstrating their dissatisfaction with the electoral process.

His comments came after MK Party supporters protested outside the eThekwini provincial results centre on Friday amid concerns about possible electoral irregularities.

Duduzane Zuma said the party was not rejecting the election outcome outright and would accept the results if the elections were free and fair.

"If we noticed any shenanigans, we will object. All we are doing is processing it. All protocols. We expect the same thing. The IEC needs to meet us halfway," he said.

The IEC was expected to announce the final election results on Sunday, November 8.