IEC says there is 'no basis' for Zuma, MKP demand for ConCourt to recuse judges

The Electoral Commission of South Africa (IEC) says there is "no basis" for Jacob Zuma's demand that the Constitutional Court justices who sentenced him to 15 months imprisonment for contempt be recused from deciding whether he can be elected to Parliament.

In heads of argument filed in the Constitutional Court this afternoon, the IEC said the "only pleaded basis" given by Zuma and his uMkhonto weSizwe Party for the five justices to recuse themselves was that they "are bound to seek to interpret their own previous decision" to sentence Zuma to a jail term that the commission says precludes him from being able to serve as an MP.

"Judges do that [interpret their own rulings] all the time," the IEC said.