JOHANNESBURG - South Africa's Independent Electoral Commission said it would continue to declare the final results of the country's general and provincial elections on Sunday afternoon despite threats to postpone the process to allow further submissions on alleged irregularities.
At a media briefing late on Saturday, Independent Electoral Commission (IEC) CEO Mosotho Moepya confirmed that the authority would be working overnight to resolve the 579 objections received in order to proceed with the scheduled announcement, at which President Cyril Ramaphosa . Speak.
Moepya expressed confidence in the transparency of the systems established by the IEC to ensure "credible, free and fair elections".
Earlier in the evening, speaking on behalf of the 26 small parties in the election, former President Jacob Zuma called on the IEC to give them more time to register, saying there were many more "serious" objections that the parties had to prepare. There was a need to do it.However, he did not share any details of the allegations.
"We will need time. No one should announce tomorrow (Sunday). No!" Zuma insisted and threatened that it would "infuriate people" if the IEC went ahead with its plan for Sunday.
“No one will die if the results are not announced tomorrow,” Zuma said.,
"Don't start trouble when there is no trouble," he warned the IEC and said a commission was needed to investigate complaints because "the people who are in charge cannot investigate themselves".
If the IEC sticks to its plan, the 26 parties will be forced to seek legal intervention, he warned.
Moepya said although all complaints were to be received by the IEC within 48 hours of the polls closing at 9 pm on Wednesday, the authority allowed an extension until 6 pm on Saturday.
Zuma is the leader of the Umkhonto we Sizwe (MK) party, which was launched a few months ago and caused a major upset by winning the most votes in his home province of KwaZulu-Natal.
This ended the African National Congress (ANC) majority in that province.MK also won substantial votes in other provinces, with analysts crediting it with playing a major role in reducing the majority to more than 40 percent that has kept the ANC in power since it first won under Nelson Mandela in 1994. Was.
Although the ANC received the most votes nationally, it was unable to secure more than the 50 percent required to form a government.
Legal advisors and analysts on several channels were unanimous that the IEC was acting completely within the rules of law and the Constitution in its functions.
At a media briefing late on Saturday, Independent Electoral Commission (IEC) CEO Mosotho Moepya confirmed that the authority would be working overnight to resolve the 579 objections received in order to proceed with the scheduled announcement, at which President Cyril Ramaphosa . Speak.
Moepya expressed confidence in the transparency of the systems established by the IEC to ensure "credible, free and fair elections".
Earlier in the evening, speaking on behalf of the 26 small parties in the election, former President Jacob Zuma called on the IEC to give them more time to register, saying there were many more "serious" objections that the parties had to prepare. There was a need to do it.However, he did not share any details of the allegations.
"We will need time. No one should announce tomorrow (Sunday). No!" Zuma insisted and threatened that it would "infuriate people" if the IEC went ahead with its plan for Sunday.
“No one will die if the results are not announced tomorrow,” Zuma said.,
"Don't start trouble when there is no trouble," he warned the IEC and said a commission was needed to investigate complaints because "the people who are in charge cannot investigate themselves".
If the IEC sticks to its plan, the 26 parties will be forced to seek legal intervention, he warned.
Moepya said although all complaints were to be received by the IEC within 48 hours of the polls closing at 9 pm on Wednesday, the authority allowed an extension until 6 pm on Saturday.
Zuma is the leader of the Umkhonto we Sizwe (MK) party, which was launched a few months ago and caused a major upset by winning the most votes in his home province of KwaZulu-Natal.
This ended the African National Congress (ANC) majority in that province.MK also won substantial votes in other provinces, with analysts crediting it with playing a major role in reducing the majority to more than 40 percent that has kept the ANC in power since it first won under Nelson Mandela in 1994. Was.
Although the ANC received the most votes nationally, it was unable to secure more than the 50 percent required to form a government.
Legal advisors and analysts on several channels were unanimous that the IEC was acting completely within the rules of law and the Constitution in its functions.
