Zuma will be the face of MK

Former president Jacob Zuma is now the leader of the uMkhonto weSizwe (MK) party. The former president is replacing Jabulani Khumalo, who initially registered with the party with the Electoral Commission of SA. This means that Zuma’s face will appear on the national ballot paper for MK.

Former president Jacob Zuma is now the leader of the uMkhonto WeSizwe (MK) party/

The former president is replacing Jabulani Khumalo who had initially registered with the party with the Electoral Commission of SA (IEC).

This means that Zuma’s face will appear on the national ballot paper for MK instead of Khumalo after the newly formed political party informed it of the leadership changes.

“The party has given us notice that Jabulani Khumalo is no longer the leader of MK party,” IEC deputy chief electoral officer (CEO), Masego Sheburi told reporters on Tuesday in responding to questions on the national election ballot.

Zuma is technically still a member of the ANC although he was suspended from the party in January, after he announced his support of the MK party in December.

Zuma’s candidacy is being challenged by the IEC in the Constitutional Court after an earlier ruling by the electoral court that upheld a decision by the MK party to include the former president on its lists of candidates to parliament.

The IEC’s chief electoral officer, Sy Mamabolo, said, however, that the finalisation of the list of candidates contesting seats in the May 29 election meant the commission could now go ahead with the printing of ballot papers for the elections.

Voters will receive three ballot papers to elect candidates to represent them in the National Assembly and provincial legislatures.

The National Assembly is made up of 400 seats, 200 of which are contested only by political parties. Independent candidates can contest only half of the seats in the National Assembly.

“In respect of the elections of the National Assembly, voters may elect a preferred party on the national ballot and elect another preferred party or independent on the regional ballot. However, in respect of provincial elections, voters will elect a preferred party or independent candidate on a single provincial ballot,” said Mamabolo.

The national ballot paper will consist of a list of political parties vying for seats for 200 seats in the National Assembly and will be used to vote for 52 political parties contesting.

The regional or province-to-national ballots will consist of political parties and independent candidates.

The number of contestants range from 30 to 44 on regional ballots. The configuration of this ballot is a single column, said Mamabolo.

The provincial ballot “will allow voters to choose either a political party or an independent candidate to represent them in provincial legislatures. The number of contestants range from 24 to 45 on the provincial legislatures ballots”, he said.