The Constitutional Court has dismissed the Mkhonto weSizwe Party (MK Party) application to interdict tomorrow’s National Assembly sitting set to elect the president of the country following the May 29 National and Provincial Elections.

In its court papers, the MK Party had argued that the sitting – where new MPs would also be sworn in, should be put on hold as the party was challenging the outcome of the elections it claims were rigged.

However, in its ruling, the ConCourt said the MK Party has failed to show why the matter should be heard by the highest court in the land, given the fact that the party did not take immediate action when the elections results were announced on June 2.

“It is not in the interests of justice to grant direct access as the impugned decisions or conduct first arose between June 1 and 2, 2024, to the knowledge of the applicant.

“However, despite this knowledge, the applicant only launched the application on June 10, 2024. The applicant has failed to show any justification for not bringing this application sooner when it was aware of the constitutional requirement to convene the National Assembly no later than 14 days after the declaration of the election results.

“In the circumstances, the urgency is thus self-created,” the court said.

The ConCourt ruling paves the way for Parliament to convene its first sitting tomorrow.

While the ANC did not get an outright majority nationally in the May 29 elections, it is highly likely that MPs who would be sworn in tomorrow, would elect President Cyril Ramaphosa to serve another five years as the country’s first citizen.

Opposition parties such as the DA and IFP, both of who were in support of the Government of National Unity proposed by Ramaphosa shortly after the elections, are likely to support his re-election.