JOHANNESBURG (AP) — Former President Jacob Zuma threatened Saturday to take legal action to stop the announcement of South Africa’s election results as scheduled on Sunday. He demanded that allegations of election fraud by his party be addressed first.
Zuma spoke after his party announced it wanted a repeat election, saying it had submitted evidence to the Independent Electoral Commission proving its allegations of widespread irregularities.
Zuma’s uMkhonto weSizwe party has become the third largest political party, with 99% of votes counted in South Africa’s closely contested elections. The ruling African National Congress lost its parliamentary majority for the first time since it came to power after the end of apartheid in 1994.
Zuma did not elaborate on the details and nature of the election fraud allegations, but his party officials said they included allegations that the election body’s IT system was tampered with on Saturday when there were technical problems.
“We will need time. No one has to file a report tomorrow, no. If that happens, people will provoke us because we know what they are doing,” Zuma said.
“We don’t guess, we know. And why should they rush? I hope whoever is responsible hears what we are saying.”
He said authorities should give political parties the opportunity to present their cases on alleged election irregularities.
In response to the allegations, the electoral body said it had received a total of 579 objections from voters and political parties. It said it would address all complaints and was ready to announce the official election results on Sunday as planned.