Former President Jacob Zuma will be on the ballot paper on the 29th of May as a representative of uMkhonto weSizwe. This is if the IEC does not succeed in its latest bid to bar him from running for office on the basis of his incarceration for contempt of court.
The Independent Electoral Commission confirmed during a media briefing that Zuma is the registered leader of MK and as things stands, the face of the party. The commission briefed the media at its headquarters in Centurion on Tuesday.
“We can confirm that the face that will be on the ballot for the MK Party is Jacob Zuma and is no longer Jabulani Khumalo as the party informed the IEC of a change of leadership that Mr Zuma is now the leader,” said Masego Sheburi, the commission’s Deputy CEO.
The IFP too has taken a formal decision to use the image of its founding leader the late Prince Mangosuthu Buthelezi for all its campaign material and Sheburi said in case of the ballot paper the party is required to use the image of its current leader Velenkosi Hlabisa.
“In the case of the IFP, we can’t control what the party does in choosing to use Prince Mangosuthu Buthelezi’s picture for campaign purposes but in terms of our records the registered leader of the party is Mr Velenkosi Hlabisa and it is his face that will be on the ballot paper,” said Shiburi.
The IEC has meanwhile approached the Constitutional Court seeking “ clarity” on the former President’s eligibility to stand for office and should the Apex court overturn the electoral court’s decision, the commission may once again bar him from standing for office.