The Independent Electoral Commission of South Africa(IEC) rejected the application of the Islamic State of Africa(ISA) which was trying to register as a new political party.

On Saturday,12 July 2025,IEC released a statement where it was responding to the media enquiries relating to the registration of the Islamic State of Africa.

The electoral commission furnished its three reasons that led them to reject the registration of the Islamic State of Africa and also emphasised that ISA has the right to appeal the decision of the IEC.

"The Chief Electoral Officer(CEO) has rejected the application by ISA on three(3) grounds.The first is that the party failed to meet the threshold of prescribed details of registered voters who support the formation of the party.The prescribed details are the signatures of three hundred(300) registered voters,together with their full names and signatures.

"The second ground is that the party published the notice of its application in a newspaper which enjoys circulation only in parts of the Municipal area.The publication in only some parts of the municipal area is not sufficient to create awareness of the application.The purpose of publishing the application is to alert persons in the geographic area linked to the sphere of registration the party is applying for.In the present case,the area of eThekwini Metropolitan Municipality.

"The third ground is that the CEO received over 200 objections from individuals and organisations who argued that the constitution of ISA espouses "the intention to develop policies based on Sharia law".It is the submissions of the objectors that part of ISA's constitution is "antithetical to the secular and inclusive nature of the principles underpinning the South African constitutional order and registering ISA would cause serious offence to a section of the population.

ISA may,within 30 days,appeal the decision of the CEO not to register it as a party to the Commission,"said the IEC statement.

The ISA is the brainchild of the businessman Farhad Hoomer who was once linked to a terrorism case which now was withdrawn,in 2018,Hoomer and others were arrested in connection with fatal knife attack took place in a mosque in Verulam.

In 2022,the United States accused him for operating an ISIS cell in South Africa which is something he denied.