Jacob Zuma wins court battle to contest in South Africa’s election
A South African court has overturned a previous ruling that barred former President Jacob Zuma from running for office in the upcoming general election in May.
On April 9, the Electoral Court dismissed the decision of South Africa’s Electoral Commission to disqualify Jacob Zuma from running for the upcoming elections.
The Court's decision clears the path for Zuma to contest the presidency under the uMkhonto weSizwe Party (MK), a party he joined after leaving the African National Congress (ANC).
The Electoral Commission’s decision to disqualify Jacob Zuma last month from running for office was due to a contempt of court conviction,according to the BBC . The commission argued that the constitution prohibits individuals convicted of crimes and sentenced to over 12 months in prison from holding public office.
In 2021, the former president received a 15-month jail sentence for refusing to testify in a corruption probe, but he was released after serving only three months due to health reasons.
However, Zuma’s lawyers argued that his conviction was related to civil rather than criminal matters
The former president aged 81, though running on the ticket of the MK opposition, was once a prominent member of the ruling party, ANC which Nelson Mandela once led. He served as president from 2009 to 2018 before resigning amidst corruption allegations.
Jacob Zuma, who sees himself as the rightful successor to the ANC's revolutionary legacy, is running on the ticket of the MK party named after the former military wing of the ANC.
While South Africa’s Electoral Commission has acknowledged the court order, it has requested the court to justify its conclusions.
“In order to understand the basis of the conclusions reached in both matters, it is important that reasons are provided. We will accordingly request the Electoral Court to hand down reasons for the orders made,” the media statement read.
South Africa's upcoming general election on May 29 is anticipated to be fiercely contested, and expected to be a historic moment in the country's democracy.
