12th March 2009

IFP President Mangosuthu Buthelezi has won the right to vote for South Africans abroad. He has engaged this battle for more than five years and today the Constitutional Court has vindicated his position that no South African should be disenfranchised.

"When he was Minister of Home Affairs, Prince Buthelezi warned both Parliament and Cabinet that it was unconstitutional to prevent South Africans residing abroad from voting," said IFP Justice Spokesperson, Mr JH van der Merwe MP.

"Now that this issue has come before the Constitutional Court, the expert evidence of Prince Buthelezi has been relied on to win the case."

Buthelezi was allowed to intervene in the case as a Friend of the Court and advised that there are at least three ways to make it possible for South Africans residing abroad to vote. His evidence disproved the ANC's stance that this is impossible, difficult or overly expensive.

Besides winning the case, Buthelezi's intervention also exposed the ANC's true motivation for not allowing South Africans who have emigrated to vote. An attached affidavit contained an IEC Commissioner's explanation of the ANC's attitude that "They left us in the lurch and do not deserve to vote"!

Five years ago Buthelezi declared this unconstitutional. Today the Constitutional Court has agreed.

"This is a victory for Buthelezi and a victory for South Africans abroad," said van der Merwe. "We now call on all South Africans abroad to vote in April 2009 for a party that will protect your rights. Vote IFP."

Contact:
JH van der Merwe MP,        082 444 4944
Chief Whip of the IFP         Spokesman on Justice

or 

Liezl van der Merwe,      083 611 7470

IFP Media Officer