Members of the Umkhonto Wesizwe (MK) party are celebrating the confirmation by the IEC that party leader Jacob Zuma is on the ballot paper.
The IEC said regardless of the outcome of its appeal of an Electoral Court decision to approve Zuma’s candidacy, the former president will be on the ballot paper.
“Whether he is a candidate has no bearing on the issue because you are on the ballot if you are the registered leader of the party, irrespective of whether you are a candidate in the election. There won’t be any effect on the ballot paper,” said IEC chief electoral officer Sy Mamabolo.
The news comes as the MK prepares for its manifesto launch at Orlando Stadium at the weekend.
It was initially thought that Zuma, who was sentenced in June 2021 to 15 months in jail for contempt of court, could not contest the elections.
Pictures of the national ballot papers circulated on Tuesday night showing 52 political parties that will contest the 29 May elections.
The IEC said over 76,000 South Africans abroad will be the first to vote this Friday and Saturday.
The commission said the expats will only receive the national ballot paper and not the provincial and regional ballot papers.
Voters who will be outside of their voting districts on election day including those who have successfully applied for special votes will only receive the national ballot paper at their voting stations.
The IEC said it had printed the longest ballot paper in the history of the country’s elections with 52 parties contesting the national elections.
The ANC is number four on the ballot paper, the DA is ninth, EFF 11th, IFP 17th, and MK 30th.
Pictured above: The ballot paper.
Image source: X
