Zuma has MK Party protesters removed from Durban prayer meeting

MK Party leader Jacob Zuma had a group of protesting supporters removed from an interfaith prayer meeting in Durban after they interrupted the event over the party’s municipal candidate list.

Hundreds of party members had gathered for a meeting organised by faith leaders to pray for peaceful local government elections.

The event was disrupted when a group began chanting and displaying placards objecting to the MK Party’s candidate-selection process.

Candidate-list dispute continues

Zuma tried to calm the protesters and said the party was aware that unlawful acts had occurred when its candidate lists were submitted. That claim is the MK Party leader’s account and has not been established as a court finding.

He said continued protests would not resolve the dispute at this stage and asked for the group to be removed from the marquee.

The prayer meeting continued while the protesters remained outside and continued voicing their objections.

The disruption comes during campaigning for the 4 November local government elections. Candidate-list disputes have affected several parties as members contest who was selected to stand for council seats.

The MK Party had not announced a separate disciplinary process against the protesters in the information reviewed by EBNewsDaily. It also had not set out what internal remedy would be available to members challenging the list.

The Electoral Commission administers submitted candidate lists, while internal party processes and the courts can deal with disputes depending on the nature of a complaint.