The National Freedom Party (NFP) will attempt for a second time on Friday to persuade the Electoral Court that it should be allowed to participate in next week’s local government elections.

The party was disqualified from participating in the elections after it failed to pay the required fees to the Electoral Commission of South Africa by the June 2 deadline.

Friday’s application is the second that will be heard by the court. A previous application in June was dismissed by the court.

The party claims it is submitting new evidence that shows it should not be disqualified.

The party was formed after former Inkatha Freedom Party (IFP) chairperson Zanele kaMagwaza-Msibi dumped the ‎IFP to form the NFP three months prior to the previous local government elections in 2011.

The NFP governs a number of rural KwaZulu-Natal municipalities in coalition with the African National Congress.

The IFP is widely expected to be the biggest beneficiary in the upcoming elections if the NFP does not participate.