Durban - The National Freedom Party has yet to file its papers with the Constitutional Court in its attempts to be allowed to participate in the municipal elections taking place in 24 days’ time.
Acting national chairman, Bheki Gumbi, said on Sunday that the papers had not been filed – as some of its leaders claimed last week.
“We are still finalising a few things. We will probably file tomorrow (Monday),” Gumbi said.
His statement comes after deputy president, Alex Kekana, earlier confirmed to the media that they had filed papers by Wednesday last week.
On Sunday, Gumbi said the challenge within the NFP was that too many of their leaders were commenting to the media.
“We have a problem of people speaking to you (media). It is unfortunate, but we are going to the Constitutional Court tomorrow,” he said.
“I can’t divulge further details. The approach we are taking is different to the previous one,” he said, in reference to their failed application to the Electoral Court two weeks ago.
“For now we are trying to make sure our papers are in order,” Gumbi added.
Contacted for comment, Kekana said they would not be divulging much information on their planned court action.
“We don’t want to say much to the media from now onwards,” he said.
Pressed to clarify if the court papers had indeed been filed, Kekana retorted: “I can’t answer that question.” He also said they did not want the IFP to know the court date in case it opposed their application.
The IFP had joined the Electoral Court two weeks ago as a friend of the court in an attempt to ensure that the rule of law was adhered to.
This, however, had sparked anger in the NFP after the IFP had publicly sympathised with its breakaway party, only to oppose their application in the Electoral Court.
The IFP itself had fallen foul to disqualification in the 2011 municipal election, after it submitted candidate lists in Umzumbe Municipality when it had failed to meet the deadline.
While it is not clear what the NFP base their application on, it appears the party wants to plead for clemency from the court.
Meanwhile, the party held a public meeting with its members in Vryheid on Sunday to update them on developments since the party was disqualified from the elections, following their national working committee meeting on Saturday.
“We are giving them the latest developments and also urging them not to misbehave. We want to discourage them from marching, and to instead organise prayers as we head for the Constitutional Court,” Gumbi said.
In another development, Community Safety and Liaison MEC, Mxolisi Kaunda, has called on the NFP to engage their members to ensure there was stability in the province ahead of the elections.
Kaunda at the weekend met provincial NFP leaders and top police management after party members went on a rampage by holding illegal protests in parts of the province – and which resulted in 28 members being arrested in Ulundi.
“We sympathise with the NFP on the current developments. However, random and illegal protests have a potential for causing havoc, and this must be discouraged.
All gatherings must be held following legal processes, and necessary permits must be obtained from relevant local authorities,” Kaunda said.