Former President Jacob Zuma’s uMkhonto we Sizwe (MK) party has requested the country’s highest court to prevent the newly elected parliament from convening this week. They allege that the May 29th vote was tainted by fraud.
The National Assembly is scheduled to meet on Friday for lawmakers to take the oath of office and to vote for their speaker, deputy speaker, and the president of the country.
The MK’s challenge emerges during a period of heightened political uncertainty in South Africa, where there’s no clarity on who will lead the country once the electoral dust settles, marking a level of ambiguity unprecedented in the past 30 years of democracy.
The African National Congress, ruling since the end of apartheid in 1994, has lost its majority but remains the largest party. It is now in talks with several other parties, despite their starkly contrasting policy objectives.
MK Party achieved a surprisingly strong third position, securing 14.6% of the vote, which translates to 58 seats in the 400-seat chamber. Despite its notable success, the party has alleged vote-rigging and has threatened to boycott the new parliament.
Both the Independent Electoral Commission and other parties have affirmed that the election was conducted freely and fairly. South Africa has a track record of minimal instances of significant vote fraud.
