MK Party and IEC reach agreement over 2024 election claim

The uMkhonto weSizwe (MK) Party and the Electoral Commission of South Africa (IEC) have agreed to withdraw their court applications following a dispute over allegations that the commission manipulated the results of the 2024 general elections.

In a statement dated Tuesday, 10 November, the MK Party said the two parties had reached an amicable agreement to withdraw the IEC‘s urgent application in the Durban High Court and the party’s opposition to it.

MK PARTY AND IEC BURY HATCHET

The legal dispute followed remarks made by the party’s first deputy president, Duduzane Zuma, and its Youth League president, Qiniso Cibane, at a public event in Umlazi on 25 October.

The remarks largely centred on allegations of manipulation of the 2024 election results by the IEC. The commission has denied the allegations.

The MK Party said that although it remained aggrieved about certain aspects of the 2024 elections, it respected the outcomes of the relevant court processes, which had absolved the commission.

“Any contrary impression is therefore regrettable,” the party said.

The party also addressed Cibane’s remarks, saying it had investigated the matter and that the Youth League president had not intended to undermine the credibility of the IEC.

It described his engagements as typically robust but said internal measures had been taken to counsel him to exercise greater caution in future public engagements.

“He has readily accepted such counsel,” the party said.

The MK Party added that it did not suggest that the IEC had overreacted by approaching the courts.

JUST IN: The MK Party says it has reached an agreement with the IEC to withdraw the court application against the party’s First Deputy President, Duduzane Zuma, and MK Youth League President, Quniso Cibane.

The IEC had approached the Durban High Court over remarks made by the… pic.twitter.com/8zPkeO8Mq2

— Heidi Giokos (@HeidiGiokos) November 10, 2026

DISPUTE OVER 2024 ELECTION RESULTS

The latest dispute comes after the MK Party previously challenged the outcome of the 2024 national and provincial elections, alleging irregularities in the IEC’s vote-capturing and reporting systems.

The party’s challenge focused, among other issues, on a two-hour interruption of the commission’s public results dashboard during the vote-counting process.

However, in September 2026, the Electoral Court dismissed the party’s application to review the declaration of the 2024 election results, finding that its case was not legally competent.

The MK Party’s latest agreement with the IEC signals a willingness by both parties to bring the separate dispute over the October remarks to an end.

The party said the withdrawal of the court application and its opposition was intended to allow both sides to move forward, while maintaining room for robust debate within acceptable limits.