Ahead of the November 4 local government election, and after filing an answering affidavit opposing the DA’s application in the Electoral Court to declare its candidate list unlawful, the GOOD party is also questioning Helen Zille’s residency in Johannesburg as she plans to contest the mayoralship for the DA in the city.

The DA has launched an urgent application in the Electoral Court against ActionSA, the EFF, the MKP, and the GOOD party, accusing them of undermining electoral laws ahead of the upcoming local government election.

The legal challenge centres on allegations that these parties are deliberately concealing their proportional representation (PR) candidates from the public by submitting lists containing just a single name.

GOOD said on Friday that its PR list, with one name in each of the 25 municipalities it is contesting, complied with the law and was certified by the Independent Electoral Commission (IEC).

“The DA’s application, seeking the exclusion of GOOD, ActionSA, the EFF and MK from the PR ballot, or to restrict the number of seats they may fill, reflects bad faith desperation to manufacture legal technicalities and voter confusion, and subvert voters’ choices. Neither the Municipal Electoral Act nor the Municipal Structures Act prescribes a minimum number of names on a party list,” GOOD countered.

It further stated that it had confirmed with the IEC whether single-candidate lists were allowed, before submitting its lists.

“GOOD will defend its lists in court; they comply with the law as Parliament wrote it, not as the DA would prefer it to have been written,” it stated.

However, the party was not done. It is further taking legal advice on whether Zille’s registration in Johannesburg as the DA’s mayoral candidate is lawful.

“Re-scrutinising the relevant legislation in preparing GOOD's answering affidavit raised questions about the lawfulness of the registration in Johannesburg of the DA’s mayoral candidate for Johannesburg, Helen Zille. GOOD has asked its legal team to advise whether Zille’s registration in Johannesburg complies with sections 7(3) and 8(3) of the Electoral Act and, if not, what remedies are available,” it explained.

GOOD argues that Zille’s residence, by her own account, is in Cape Town, further stating that if it is advised that Zille’s candidacy is unlawful, it will take legal action.