COSATU urges the IEC and SAPS to investigate allegations of mass signature forgeries by the MK Party

The Congress of South African Trade Unions (COSATU) urges the Independent Electoral Commission (IEC) and South African Police Service (SAPS) to urgently investigate deeply worrying allegations by members of the MK Party that they facilitated mass forgeries of signatures to meet the legal requirements to be on the May 29th ballot papers.

All political parties and now independent candidates have been legally required by the Electoral Act for many years to submit signed nomination forms for them to contest national, provincial and local government elections.

It is extremely disconcerting to read reports by senior officials of the MK Party that they actively facilitated the mass forgery of these required signatures. This is not a matter that we can take lightly or indulge. South Africa struggled for many decades to achieve a constitutional democracy. We have painstakingly nourished it over the past thirty years. Free, fair and credible elections are the foundation of democracy.

Many parties and candidates have been disqualified from contesting elections because they did not meet the signature threshold. It will be a grotesque violation of our laws if these allegations are true.

The IEC and the SAPS need to swiftly investigate these reports and if true, then they need to action the necessary sanctions against the culprits as per our criminal laws, and the affected party as required by the Electoral Act. They need to take the nation into their confidence as a matter of urgency with elections due to take place in four weeks.

What we cannot accept is for criminals to make a mockery of the Constitution and the rule of law any further. Its bad enough they were allowed to desecrate the Constitution and run amok with public resources for the better part of a decade. It is time they were told where to get off and to be held accountable for their behaviour.

Issued by COSATU

For further information please contact:
Matthew Parks
Acting National Spokesperson & Parliamentary Coordinator
Cell: 082 785 0687