KZN MK Party wants case against IEC official arrested for contravening Electoral Act handled firmly

DURBAN - The uMkhonto weSizwe (MK) Party in KwaZulu-Natal’s Moses Mabhida region has called for the court to be firm when handling the case of an Electoral Commission of South Africa (IEC) official arrested for contravening the Electoral Act. 

Musawenkosi Mnikathi, an IEC area manager at Imbali in Pietermaritzburg, was officially criminally charged in the dock on Thursday. 

He is accused of illegally transporting ballot boxes during the voting period in May. 

The MK Party said the arrest spoke to the many irregularities related to the recent polls.

Mnikathi appeared before a courtroom packed with MK Party supporters on Thursday. 

He’s been charged with contravening the Electoral Act for transporting voting material in his personal vehicle. 

“We are vindicated as the MK Party about the ruling. We strongly believe that it’s not just an electoral misconduct but is a criminal offence and it should be treated as such,” said the MK party’s Reggie Ngcobo. 

Ngcobo said they expected more names to be exposed in this case. 

"We believe that the court, as it probes the accused, will reveal more names as to who instructed the accused to commit such a criminal act."

The matter returns to court next week.