South Africa’s Court Bars Ex-president Jacob Zuma from Contesting Election
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South Africa’s Court Bars Ex-president Jacob Zuma from Contesting Election
By Roselyn James
The top court of South Africa decided on Monday that former President Jacob Zuma, cannot run for parliament in this month’s election.
INCNews247 reports that this decision could affect the result and incite discontent among Zuma’s followers.
Given that the constitution forbids anyone serving a sentence of 12 months or more in prison from holding a parliamentary seat, the constitutional court determined that Zuma’s 15-month jail sentence for contempt of court in 2021 prevented him from standing in the May 29 election.
“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 decision stated.
INCNews247 recalls that, in 2018, after being forced to resign from office as president, Zuma campaigned for Mkhonto we Sizwe (MK), a new political party named after the ANC’s newly established armed wing, after he fell out with the governing African National Congress (ANC).
After 30 years in power, the ANC’s majority appears to be in jeopardy, according to opinion polls, and MK poses a threat to it, particularly in KwaZulu-Natal, Zuma’s home province.
After Zuma was imprisoned in 2021, there were riots in KwaZulu-Natal that resulted in over 300 deaths and expanded into widespread looting.
In an interview with local radio station 702, President Cyril Ramaphosa responded, “I’m not concerned about this instigating violence,” when asked about the possibility of violence following the constitutional court verdict.
“In South Africa, we are governed by the rule of law. “If a constitutional court rules, that’s it, and our security forces are prepared in case there’s a threat of violence,” he declared.
When Zuma was first disqualified by South Africa’s election commission in March, the decision was reversed a month later by a court because Zuma was not one of the people for whom the relevant part of the constitution applied that is, those who had the opportunity to appeal their penalties.
Later, the constitutional court heard the complaint brought by the election commission. As stated earlier, Zuma’s face will still appear on ballots this month since he remains the MK party’s registered leader, even if he is prohibited from serving as a member of parliament.
MK’s support was estimated to be under 8% in an April Ipsos opinion poll, compared to the ANC’s little over 40%. Although it is still expected to win the most votes, the African National Congress (ANC) will need to find a coalition partner or partners to govern the country if it receives less than 50% of the vote.
This will be the party’s first coalition since it was led by Nelson Mandela, the liberation hero who came to power at the end of apartheid.
At a rally for his MK party on Saturday, Zuma assured thousands of supporters gathered at a stadium located in Soweto, the largest slum in South Africa, that his party will generate jobs and offer free education to underprivileged children.
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