The decision by the Constitutional Court to bar former President Jacob Zuma from running for office in next week's general election does not bother his newly formed Umkhonto weSizwe Party (MKP).

NOT BOTHERED 

Yesterday, ConCourt ruled that Zuma was not eligible to stand for office because of his 15-month prison sentence for contempt of court. The former president was convicted in 2021 for refusing to testify at the State Capture Commission which resulted in the July 2021 unrest, which cost a loss of R50 billion to the country's economy. MK's deputy general-secretary Arthur Zwane said that they expected this outcome from the highest court in the country and they are not bothered.

"The decision by the Constitutional Court gives us an additional and pressing need for UMkhonto Wesizwe Party to achieve two thirds majority. From the onset when we called for the 2/3 majority victory, we knew that all institutions of democracy are captured and not even a single one of them is ready to defend democracy and rights of Jacob Zuma and that of MK and South Africans at large to choose who we want to represent us in Parliament," Zwane said.

ZUMA'S NAME AND FACE TO REMAIN ON THE BALLOT PAPER

He added that even before the voters could exercise their rights to choose their leaders, the court decided that they don't have to choose Zuma. "This is further a testament that proves that we were never wrong when we declared that we would change the constitution in order to usher parliamentary democracy so that it is the through the will of the people that prevail not some politically active courts," he said. Zwane said that what is key in all of this is that the name and face of Zuma will be on the ballot paper. "After we have attained 2/3rd majority, we will change the constitution and Zuma will definitely be in Parliament," he said.

UNSHAKEN

Zwane's words were echoed by MK party spokesperson Nhlamulo Ndhlela who also claimed that they knew about the outcome even before going to court. He also accused the judiciary of being captured. "The public can now see through these institutions that they are being controlled and they have been given a mandate to go against everything to do with Umkhonto. We are unshaken and to be honest, we are not even bothered. Our goal is to go to the elections with Zuma on the ballot paper, win them with a 2/3rd majority and change South Africans laws which favour the rich," he said.