The Electoral Commission (IEC) has welcomed a judgment by the Electoral Court dismissing a challenge brought by the uMkhonto weSizwe Party (MK Party) over the integrity of the system used to capture, tabulate and determine the results of the 2024 National and Provincial Elections.
The judgment, handed down recently, brings an end to the latest legal challenge by the MK Party, which had questioned the reliability of the IEC’s results system.
MK Party’s election challenge
The dispute has been ongoing for more than two years, with the party repeatedly raising concerns about the 2024 election results. The MK Party has alleged that a two-hour disappearance of the IEC’s results dashboard was linked to the manipulation of election results.
The IEC has rejected the allegations, maintaining that the party had failed to provide substantive evidence to support claims that the election was rigged.
IEC prepares for local elections
In its latest statement, the IEC said its position throughout the proceedings had been guided by its constitutional responsibility to administer elections and protect the integrity, credibility and fairness of electoral outcomes.
Following the Electoral Court judgment, the Commission said it would now finalise an independent and external audit of the results system to be used for the 4 November 2026 Local Government Elections.
The IEC said political parties would also have an opportunity to test the results system using their preferred independent experts.
Political parties will have direct access to the system from 5 to 12 October to identify and raise any issues requiring remediation ahead of Election Day.
The Commission said it regarded the matter as closed and would not make further comments on the Electoral Court ruling, citing the need to respect the process ahead of the local government elections.
MK Party maintains concerns over 2024 results
The MK Party, however, maintains that the judgment does not change its concerns about the 2024 election.
In a statement shared on its Facebook page, the party said the evidence presented in its case had raised serious questions about the integrity of the election results.
The party cited alleged discrepancies on the IEC results dashboard, concerns about the handling of election materials and findings from a forensic IT investigation into the IEC’s electronic results systems.
The MK Party said these issues raised legitimate concerns about whether the final results accurately reflected the votes cast, including votes for the party.
Speaking to Newzroom Afrika, MK Party spokesperson Sifiso Mahlangu described the court outcome as a “David and Goliath situation”, saying the party had expected the IEC to prevail.
Mahlangu repeated the party’s claim that the IEC results dashboard disappeared for about two hours during the 2024 election and alleged that the numbers displayed after it returned differed from those previously shown.
He also raised concerns about objections relating to election materials, including claims that ballot boxes containing MK Party ballots had been found in places such as toilets and car boots.
The allegations have been disputed by the IEC, which has maintained that the MK Party has not produced sufficient evidence to substantiate its claims.
The MK Party has nevertheless said it remains committed to defending the votes of its supporters and pursuing what it describes as electoral justice.
The Electoral Court judgment comes as the party prepares to contest its first Local Government Elections.
The MK Party has already begun building its municipal election campaign, following a number of by-election victories, while the IEC is preparing the electoral systems and processes for the 4 November poll.
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