Ramaphosa defends electoral commission over Zuma saga

President Cyril Ramaphosa has addressed the Constitutional Court/Electoral Commission of SA (IEC) saga, saying commission is ‘inherently non-political’ and he does not regret granting former President Jacob Zuma remission. Legalbrief reports that the IEC’s decision to appeal an Electoral Court decision allowing Zuma to contest a seat in Parliament has resulted in a political storm. With the elections next month, it is expected that the hearing will take place this week – if the Constitutional Court agrees to hear the appeal. Business Day reports that the Electoral Court did not give reasons for its ruling. Ramaphosa, responding to accusations that IEC was entering the political arena by approaching the Constitutional Court, said ‘it is independent, and we must defend its independence, just as we should defend the independence of our courts'.

Ramaphosa also addressed the MK Party’s (MKP) call for resignation of electoral commissioner Janet Love. According to a Saturday Star report, the MKP on Friday reacted strongly against the IEC after the commission confirmed it would be heading to the top court. Ahead of the Electoral Court ruling, Love had said Zuma would not be eligible to stand for a National Assembly seat, notes Legalbrief. MKP spokesperson Nhlamulo Ndhlela called into question Love’s allegiance to the ANC and Ramaphosa, with Ndhlela saying any attempt by the commission to challenge the decision of the Electoral Court would not be in the interest of the elections. ‘After considerable reflection, the MKP condemns Janet Love’s conduct and therefore calls for her resignation as the commissioner of the IEC with immediate effect for her blatant acts of bias. As the MKP, we were prepared to give Ms Love, who has been a loyal serving member of the ANC and a close confidante of President Cyril Ramaphosa, the benefit of the doubt. But in light of the above (the Constitutional Court matter), we have now come to the conclusion that Janet Love is highly vested in the outcomes of the upcoming elections and cannot be trusted to oversee nor be involved in these elections,’ he said.

The Saturday Star reports that in October last year, Ramaphosa appointed the former politician and anti-apartheid activist as the electoral commissioner. Professor of African and Elections Politics at Unisa Kealeboga Maphunye reportedly said both the IEC and MKP were well within their rights to fight the matter through the courts … but we must be careful when dealing with institutions and not go for single individuals’. The Citizen reports that Ramaphosa said ‘no individual or IEC official should be pointed out as having done this or that’. ‘It is the entire IEC commission that has taken a decision and the decision is based, as I have heard and understood it, on bringing clarity to the law so that the Constitutional Court, which is the repository or entity that should interpret our law, can give clarity once and for all,’ Ramaphosa said. News24 reports that Ramaphosa also said he does not regret granting Zuma remission in the wake of the MKP’s IEC challenge. The IEC had barred Zuma from contesting the election in line with section 47 of the Constitution, which states that no person convicted for more than 12 months, without the option of a fine, is allowed to hold public office. Zuma was sentenced to 15 months in prison for contempt of court. A week ago, the IEC and MKP battled it out in the Electoral Court, with the MKP emerging victorious after the court ruled in favour of the party and Zuma.