South Africa’s highest court ruled on Monday that former President Jacob Zuma is not eligible to run for parliament in this month’s election, a decision that could significantly impact the political landscape.
Zuma, who resigned from the presidency in 2018, has since distanced himself from the ruling African National Congress (ANC) and is now campaigning for a new party, uMkhonto we Sizwe (MK), named after the ANC’s former armed wing.
Opinion polls indicate that the ANC’s long-standing majority is under threat after 30 years in power. MK poses a significant challenge, particularly in Zuma’s home province of KwaZulu-Natal, where he remains highly popular.
The case reached the constitutional court following a March decision by South Africa’s electoral commission to disqualify Zuma, citing a constitutional provision that bars anyone sentenced to 12 months or more in prison from holding a parliamentary seat.
In 2021, Zuma was sentenced to 15 months in prison for contempt of court after failing to appear at a corruption inquiry.
A lower court overturned the disqualification in April, ruling that the constitutional provision only applied to individuals who had the opportunity to appeal their sentences, which was not the case for Zuma.
The electoral commission then appealed this decision to the constitutional court.
“It is declared that Mr. Zuma was convicted of an offence and sentenced to more than 12 months’ imprisonment, … and is accordingly not eligible to be a member of, and not qualified to stand for election to, the National Assembly,” the constitutional court stated in its ruling on Monday.
Zuma’s 2021 imprisonment sparked riots in KwaZulu-Natal, resulting in over 300 deaths and widespread looting.
