South Africa’s Constitutional Court has ruled that former President Jacob Zuma is not eligible to run for a parliamentary seat in the upcoming election.
This decision upholds a March ruling by the Electoral Commission, which disqualified Jacob Zuma based on a constitutional provision that prevents anyone with a prison sentence of 12 months or more from holding such an office.
Zuma was sentenced to 15 months in 2021 for contempt of court after failing to appear at a corruption inquiry.
Jacob Zuma, who resigned as president in 2018 amid corruption scandals, had been campaigning for a new party, Umkhonto we Sizwe (MK).
Although a lower court overturned the disqualification in April, arguing that the constitutional prohibition applied only to those who had a chance to appeal, the Electoral Commission challenged the decision.
The Constitutional Court’s ruling confirms Jacob Zuma’s disqualification due to his conviction and sentence.
The court’s decision is significant in the context of South African politics, particularly given the violent unrest following Zuma’s jailing in 2021, which resulted in over 300 deaths and extensive looting in KwaZulu-Natal.
The ruling could also impact the African National Congress (ANC)’s political standing, as the party has been in power for nearly three decades.
