MK is a real party pooper

Still to come up with its constitution, convene a national conference and elect its leaders, political newcomer uMkhonto weSizwe (MK) party has never fallen short of surprises.

Within months of being established, Jacob Zuma’s MK, has to be commended for putting up a good show in the 2024 general election – winning 58 seats in the National Assembly, emerging as the majority party in KwaZulu-Natal and becoming the third-largest opposition in South Africa.

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In what ANC Veterans’ League president Snuki Zikalala has described as “the will of the people”, MK’s performance at the polls has not only seen the ruling party not achieving an outright majority, it has stripped the Economic Freedom Fighters of the number three position.

By all accounts, MK’s victory is no mean feat. But while Zuma and his comrades should find a moment to celebrate with supporters, they have emerged spoilers of the country’s constitutional democracy.

Without any scientific motivation pointing to evidence of “vote rigging” by the Electoral Commission of South Africa (IEC), Zuma and his cronies want us to believe MK “has been robbed of votes”.

For the past 30 years, the IEC has presided over the country’s elections, declared free and fair.

The 2024 polls, perceived to have run smoothly by party agents stationed at each polling station and local and international observers, was another repeat of previous South African elections.

At a time when many political parties are preoccupied with working on a partnership with the ANC in its objective to usher a government of national unity, the MK party is dragging matters to the Constitutional Court – a bid to stop Chief Justice Raymond Zondo and secretary of parliament Xolile George from convening a sitting of both houses.

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According to MK, the party grievances over the results should first be heard by the apex court. Boycotting the swearing in of MPs is unlikely to stop parliament from convening, according to experts.

Analysts such as constitutional law expert Pierre de Vos have said should MK boycott the first session, that will have no effect – except to reduce the number of votes required to elect the president, speaker and deputy speaker.

With the IEC having declared the results, De Vos has maintained that objections would have no material effect. Absence of evidence lies at the core of the MK matter.