Durban — The two uMkhonto weSizwe Party (MKP) strongmen, Bonginkosi Khanyile and Visvin Reddy, have come out guns blazing, accusing the courts of being captured following the Electoral Court’s (EC) R150 000 fine, suspended for five years, against them.
This stemmed from the pair being found guilty of inciting violence following their scathing public utterances ahead of the May 29 elections – where they threatened there would be “anarchy” in the country – if the MKP or its leader, former president Jacob Zuma, were barred from contesting the watershed elections.
Speaking to the Daily News after Wednesday’s judgment, Khanyile said: “I am not surprised by the judgment. Our courts are captured by the current administration led by President Cyril Ramaphosa. The courts are on a witch hunt to torment and frustrate all the people who support (former) president Jacob Zuma.”
Despite lashing out at the justice system, Bonginkosi stressed that he was a “law-abiding citizen”.
“I respect the law because, in matters of disputes, it becomes the final arbiter. I am a law-abiding citizen,” he said, adding that he would not appeal the ruling, “because I don’t have time to play.”
The Electoral Court had set in motion its wheels of justice against Khanyile and Reddy after complaints were lodged with the specialist court that the pair had contravened the Electoral Act over remarks they made in March.
In the ruling, the court found that this was in contravention of Section 87 Subsections 1 and 2 of the Electoral Act, which prohibits, among others, anyone from interfering with the independence of the Electoral Commission of SA (IEC) and preventing a person from exercising their right to vote.
Khanyile, a former Fees Must Fall activist, is also a former leader of the youth wing organisations of Julius Malema’s Economic Freedom Fighters (EFF) and Gayton McKenzie’s Patriotic Alliance (PA). After unceremoniously being expelled from the PA last year, he threw his weight behind the MKP in January.
The sanction is suspended for five years with the condition that both Khanyile and Reddy do not contravene the relevant sections of the act for five years.
Further, the court warned them against making statements that undermine any electoral processes during the same period.
While Khanyile did not pull his punches, his co-accused, Reddy, said: “I acknowledge the court's judgment, which found that I contravened Section 87(1) (a), (b), and (c), and 87(2) of the Electoral Act 73 of 1998. It has taken a long time for this matter to be finalised.”
He added that this action was politically motivated, as some were determined to remove him from the parliamentary list.
He said: “They also sought a fine of R200 000 and a public apology, none of which were granted by the court.”
Reddy said he was consulting with his legal team as he was considering appealing the ruling.
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