Zulu King Misuzulu KaZwelithini has applauded the Electoral Commission of South Africa (IEC) for running free, fair and credible elections.
The king also commended all political parties for conducting themselves in a peaceful manner during campaigning and on election day.
He called on law enforcement to deal firmly with and apply the rule of law against those who sought to incite political instability and mayhem post the release of election results.
The king further instructed all chiefs of hostels around Gauteng and Durban to report any violent behaviour.
“His Majesty is confident that all political leaders will commit themselves to respect the outcomes of the elections and to play their part in promoting peace, development and stability,” his traditional prime minister, Reverend Thulasizwe Buthelezi said.
The call comes amid complaints of vote rigging by the Umkhonto weSizwe (MKP) and other parties.
MK Party leader Jacob Zuma on Saturday evening, led a group of over 20 small parties which had lodged more than 500 objections to the commission, at the IEC’s results centre, demanding a vote recount.
In a previous article by the Daily News’s sister publication The Star, Zuma called on the commission not to declare the election results, alluding to the possibility of violence erupting.
“Nobody must force us to say now, here are the results, when the outcome is not correct. I think the institution must satisfy us that they did look into the issues. We are going to need time, nobody must declare now. If that happens, people will be 'provoking us' because we know what we are talking about. We are not guessing why they, IEC, should rush to count. I am hoping whoever is responsible is hearing what we are saying,” said Zuma.
On Monday, in a speech outside the Gauteng High Court, Johannesburg, Zuma told his party members to refrain from violent acts, after they attacked MK Party founder, Jabulani Khumalo, as he was leaving the Electoral Court where he was fighting to have Zuma removed as party leader.
The Star