MK Party withdraws electoral court challenge disputing election results

The MK Party has withdrawn its application at the electoral court to challenge the election results. 

The party had claimed the results announced by the IEC in June were not free and fair. It  asked the court to set aside the results and demanded a new election date. 

The party alleged last month that it had evidence that the poll was rigged and would be approaching international courts on the matter.

The party's lawyers, JG and Xulu Incorporated, issued a notice of withdrawal to the court on Wednesday, saying, “The applicant hereby withdraws their application against the respondents in this matter.” 

The respondents include the speaker of the National Assembly, Thoko Didiza, and President Cyril Ramaphosa. 

The party's discontent led to 58 of their members boycotting the first National Assembly sitting at which new MPs were sworn in and the speaker and president were elected. 

It was only a week later that parliament set a date for the absent MK Party members to be sworn in. They included Jacob Zuma's daughter, Duduzile Zuma-Sambudla, and impeached former judge John Hlophe. 

TimesLIVE reported that the MK Party missed its deadline last Thursday to file a replying affidavit in the application before the electoral court and instead requested further directives from the court. 

The replying affidavit was to counter the IEC's response to MK's submission that the elections were not free and fair. 

Instead of filing the affidavit, the party's lawyer asked the court last week for further directions as the answering papers were “voluminous” and raised “several issues” such as the issue of technical reports. 

TimesLIVE