United Democratic Front

And so for the ANC to like, like, like intend to beg or whatever, so this was, uh, uh, actually it, it was the UDM.

It was the United Democratic, uh, Movement, uh, uh, Front, sorry, the UDF, United Democratic Front, to extend the candidate submission deadline.

They just said, "You're not allowed to." The IEC is literally doesn't have the statutory power to exempt a party from the deadline.

There's a constitutional court precedent that affirmed that the IEC cannot condone missed statutory deadlines.

Bringing the time to 20 minutes, uh, to 10 o'clock.

And next up we speak, uh, of course, uh, to our guest, Andor Grey Marks, the son of Joe Marks, looking to reintegrate the UDF party into South African politics.

It's great to have you, Andor.

Welcome.

The appeal was also then, um, the DCO appeal was upheld by the IEC based on a narrow interpretation.

We've, we found-- We were really baffled by that because just in 2024, the, um, ANC MK case have gave clear direction when it comes to an application that one do not apply a narrow interpretation on appeals, but a broader interpretation or a Yeah, a broad interpretation.

So it doesn't need... means that a party applying, if there is an, uh, uh, administrative issue that can be, can be supplemented, the IEC should allow it to be supplemented.

So yes, then we obviously took it to the electoral court, where the matter was then heard subsequently by four judges, and, uh, Friday past, the judges found that IEC was wrong in their, in their, uh, finding.

Um, politically I was involved in the struggles in the 1980s, uh, while I was at, uh, college teachers training college.

And I, uh, worked with, uh, the United Democratic Front with, um, uh, Alan Busack, uh, Archie Goumedie, uh, Trevor Manuel, uh, Praveen Gordon.

So those were kind of our mentors.

Um, I was a young man then about 19 or so 18, 19 years old, uh, at the time.

The political history is interesting too.

The United Democratic Front, which is rooted in the Damara community, has held the town council since 2020, a rare break from the dominance of SWAPO.

There is a sense here that people are trying to find their own way, to write their own future after a century of being told who they were.

The practicalities of living here take a bit of adjustment.