Black First Land First (BLF) has failed in its application to appeal against its deregistration as a political party. This appears to end, for the moment at least, any aspirations it might have to participate in South Africa’s electoral contest.
The BLF was deregistered in July after the Freedom Front Plus filed a complaint against it on the basis that it limited membership on racial grounds. The Electoral Act specifies that parties so constituted are not eligible for registration, and hence for participation in elections.
The BLF contested the general election in May 2019 and secured some 19 796 votes nationally.
BLF president Andile Mngxitama reacted to the decision on its application to appeal its deregistration by saying that it would not be contesting this through the courts. ‘The decision for the electoral court to deny us the right to appeal,’ he said, ‘confirms the position that Black First Land First has held up to now, that the whole legal system of South Africa is anti-black.’
It is unclear what route the BLF will follow. Mngxitama had threatened that deregistration would precipitate an armed struggle. In spite of its indifferent electoral performance, the party had achieved a considerable profile through agitation, and notably by championing so-called ‘radical economic transformation’.