The Electoral Court of South Africa delivered a ruling on September 25, 2026, dismissing the MK Party's challenge to the 2024 national and provincial election results. According to reports from SABC News and TimesLIVE, the court found that the MK Party had not followed the procedure outlined in section 55 of the Electoral Act. This procedure is mandatory for disputing the outcome of an election.
The MK Party's challenge centered on an incident that occurred on May 31, 2024, during which the public-facing results dashboard and leaderboard went blank for approximately two hours. The party alleged that this interruption raised doubts about the reliability of the Electoral Commission of South Africa's digital vote-capturing and reporting system and the declared result. However, the court did not find any evidence to support the party's claims.
The Electoral Court considered the dashboard incident on its merits and heard the Electoral Commission of South Africa's explanation. The commission stated that a display setting was inadvertently changed, but the results system itself continued to operate normally. The court accepted an audit trail showing that results continued to be captured and edited during the interruption, with no data lost and no effect on capturing or verifying the results.
The court's judgment distinguished between an interruption in the public display of results and a disruption to the underlying count. The court found that the MK Party's application to review the declaration of the results was not competent in law. This ruling effectively dismissed the party's challenge to the election results.
The Electoral Commission of South Africa's digital vote-capturing and reporting system was at the center of the MK Party's challenge. The commission's system is designed to provide a secure and transparent way of capturing and reporting election results. The court's ruling has confirmed the integrity of the system and the election results.
The dismissal of the MK Party's challenge brings closure to the electoral process for 2024. The court's ruling has upheld the integrity of the election results and confirmed that the Electoral Commission of South Africa followed the correct procedures. The MK Party's challenge was one of several that were brought before the Electoral Court.
The court's decision was delivered on September 25, 2026, and it marks the final resolution of the MK Party's challenge. The ruling has significant implications for the electoral process in South Africa, as it confirms the integrity of the Electoral Commission's systems and processes.
Key points
- The Electoral Court dismissed the MK Party's challenge due to its failure to follow the mandatory procedure for disputing the election outcome.
