Arise SA claims the IEC 'unlawfully' kicked it off national ballot

JOHANNESBURG - Newly formed political party, Arise SA, has accused the Electoral Commission of South Africa (IEC) of unlawfully kicking them off the national ballot.

When the Electoral Commission published the candidates list on Tuesday, Arise SA said it appeared on all three ballots - national, regional and provincial.

However, the party said when it checked the IEC website on Wednesday, it found that it had been removed from the national list.

Members and supporters of the party picketed outside the IEC offices in Centurion on Thursday, with police guarding the situation.

Arise SA national executive committee member, Bonolo Nthoka, said the IEC told them they only appeared on the national list due to a system malfunction.

"We qualified for all nine provinces, we qualified for national, we did everything above board, we have live videos to prove that, we have clips, a paper trail and we paid the R750,000 that was required of us and no one at the IEC said anything. They tell us last minute because it’s just corruption that’s happening there."

Eyewitness News requested comment from the commission, however, it has yet to receive a response.