The FF Plus won its appeal application against the registration of the Black First Land First (BLF) as political party with the Electoral Commission (IEC). The commission has ruled that the BLF does indeed exclude membership to that party on the basis of race and the BLF is deregistered as a political party.
In terms of section 16 (1) (c) of the Electoral Commission Act (Act 51 of 1996), the IEC may not register a political party that excludes membership based on race, color or ethnicity. The Constitution of the BLF states in Section 4 that only black people may be members of that party.
The IEC initially maintained its footing and claimed that the registration of the BLF was not against the provisions of the law, because Article 4 of that party’s constitution refers rather to a particular ideology than a specific race.
However, the leader of the BLF, Andile Mngxitama, contradicted this claim itself by confirming in its initial opposing statement, as filed during the FF Plus’ application to the Electoral Court, that the BLF’s constitution excludes whites on the grounds of race.
The Commission, therefore, could not but be in favor of the FF Plus and consequently had to deregister the BLF as a political party.
The deregistration of the BLF as a political party is a huge victory for the whole of South Africa, because the racial hatred and intolerance argued and advocated by Mngxitama and his relatives cannot be tolerated.
The successful application is also a victory for law and order. The FF Plus has argued this case since January this year in the interests of law and order. It is unacceptable that the IEC violated the law with the registration of the BLF. Legislation should not only be seen as guidelines, but must be adhered to. No one is above the law.
The FF Plus is grateful for the victory, but is disappointed in the IEC because the Commission initially defended the registration of the party, which was contrary to relevant legislation. The FF Plus is fighting back against racial hatred and lawlessness and does not stand back for troublemakers like the BLF.
Read the original article in Afrikaans by Dr Pieter Groenewald on FF Plus
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