IEC official’s application to move case to Electoral Court dismissed

IEC official’s application to move case to Electoral Court dismissed

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The Pietermaritzburg Magistrate’s Court has dismissed an application by the legal team of the IEC official charged with the contravention of Electoral Act, for the matter to transferred to the Electoral Court.

Musawenkosi Mnikathi, an IEC area manager in Msunduzi was arrested during the general elections in May. He’s accused of removing election material without police escort. Mnikathi made his second appearance in a packed court room.

Magistrate Edmund Szudrawski ruled that the court does have jurisdiction to hear the matter. He said that contravention of the Electoral Act is a criminal offence and Mnikathi will have to stand trial in a Magistrate’s Court. The state told the court it was ready for the trial as its investigations were complete.

Mnikathi’s legal team said they still need to study the judgment.

“We don’t have much, but we will study the judgment,” says Advocate Ashleigh Jennings.

MK Party members welcomed the court’s ruling.

“The ruling vindicated us as uMkhonto weSizwe in the region particularly in that the accused and his legal team wanted to take the matter to the Electoral Court and this court decided that it remain within its jurisdiction because it has strong criminal elements other than the electoral disputes. We strongly believe that this proceeding in this court seeks to say that there were irregularities in the election itself and we strongly believe that as the MK Party, the elections were not free and fair,” says MK Party’s Reggie Ngcobo.

Outside the court, there was large police contingent. The case has been postponed to the 2nd of July.

Video: Electoral Court – Court dismisses IEC area manager’s application

RISE Mzansi calls for change, leads door-to-door campaign in KZN

RISE Mzansi calls for change, leads door-to-door campaign in KZN

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RISE Mzansi leader Songezo Zibi has urged South Africans to vote for change in the upcoming general elections. Zibi took his party’s campaign to KwaZulu-Natal and conducted a door-to-door campaign in Inanda, Durban.

Residents used the opportunity to voice their grievances about service delivery challenges.

Inanda, located in the northern part of the City, has had a notoriously high crime rate for many years. Murder, robbery, rape and drug abuse are some of the most serious crimes affecting the community. Unemployment is also high.

Zibi interacted with eligible voters from an informal settlement, where residents raised concerns about a lack of proper housing, and also about the failure of the eThekwini municipality to provide basic services.

Rise Mzansi leader has urged citizens to turn up and vote.

“We need to turn up to vote for change to choose leaders that care about the issues that affect people to choose political parties that are always present in the community working with the community and I think most importantly, don’t make big promises. That’s what you are not going to fulfil. It’s got lots of problems. In South Africa what is important is that we continue to work together with South Africans in the communities to work on these problems because if we don’t get involved then you know we will likely see the same things that we have seen in the last 30 years. Where nothing happens.”