Independent candidates fail in bid to postpone elections

A group of independent candidates who are arguing that they are being unfairly prevented from contesting elections have had their urgent application to postpone the May 8 elections dismissed by the Constitutional Court.

The case will still be heard, on August 15, meaning that the candidates have failed in their attempts to have elections postponed and the case heard before they happen next week.

The candidates argued that the failure of the Independent Electoral Commission’s (IEC) to allow independent candidates to run in provincial and national elections represents a “massive constitutional crisis”.

In March, News24 reported that IEC lawyer advocate Steven Budlender called the case an “extraordinary attempt to imperil the elections”.

He cited laws stating that there must be a new election within 90 days of the National Assembly being dissolved, saying attempts to postpone elections would interfere with this.

READ MORE: Independent candidates take elections battle to Concourt

Budlender also expressed the view that the decision of the candidates to request the courts to deliberate on this matter only six weeks before elections could cause “mass panic and pandemonium”.

The candidates involved in the case include Khoi leader Chantal Dawn Revell, princess of the Korana Royal Household as well as leader of the New Nation Movement (NNM).

Revell argued as a member of the “first nation people” of South Africa, who she described as the “original stewards of the land”, she had a crucial role to play in contributing to the land debate, and should be allowed the chance to become a member of parliament urgently as the land issue could cause “a civil war and could even lead to genocide”.

Representing the department of home affairs, advocate Nazeer Cassim said the applicants of the case could have started their own political party or join an existing one but chose not to do so.

(Compiled by Daniel Friedman)

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