Helen Zille. File picture: Jason Boud
The ANC has dismissed claims by the DA’s Helen Zille that its decision to withdraw its application to the Electoral Court was allegedly due to the fact that it obtained information that the Constitutional Court will rule in favour of the postponement of elections until February.
Zille made the claims on her Twitter account when she wrote: “The ANC’s withdrawal from the Electoral Court indicates that they have been tipped off that the IEC’s application to postpone the election was successful. If information is leaked from the ConCourt to the ANC, it is nothing short of a Constitutional crisis.”
ANC national spokesperson Pule Mabe said his party rejected the “the contemptuous insinuations” by Zille that the ANC’s decision to withdraw its application to the Electoral Court for reopening of candidate registration was based on “leaks” from the Constitutional Court.
“These insinuations are devoid of any truth. Not surprisingly, Ms Zille does not adduce a shred of evidence to support her utterances. This is a grave insult to the integrity of the Constitutional Court and the judiciary in general. She should be ashamed of herself. We challenge her to withdraw these spurious allegations,” Mabe said.
He said the ANC approached the Electoral Court after a number of political parties, including the ANC, failed to register all their candidates, saying that arose as a result of pressure placed on the candidate selection process by Covid-19 restrictions on meetings.
Mabe also said that their failure to register all their candidates was exacerbated by challenges experienced on the IEC’s online candidate registration system.
“The impact of the Covid-19 pandemic on the holding of free and fair elections was dealt with extensively by the Moseneke Inquiry.
“The IEC’s application to the Constitutional Court for postponement of the elections is based on the report by former Deputy Chief Justice Dikgang Moseneke. The report concluded that it would be impossible to hold free and fair elections by October 27, 2021. This conclusion was based on extensive expert medical evidence and submissions by political parties.”
Mabe said the ANC decided to withdraw its application to the Electoral Court in the interests of avoiding a proliferation of litigation before the courts.
“We will await the judgment of the Constitutional Court. We reserve our right to pursue further remedies,” he said.
– Political Bureau
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