Jacob Zuma, the former president of South Africa, has been impeded in his political career by a decision from the nation’s supreme court, which has prevented him from standing for a parliamentary seat in the upcoming general election. The legal ruling issued on Monday asserts that Mr Zuma’s 15-month incarceration term handed down in 2021 for contempt of court, disqualifies him from participating in the May 29th election as a contender for a new political entity he has been championing since December.
The past president, aged 82, was adjudged guilty of contempt in June 2021 for declining to testify earlier the same year in a probe designed to scrutinise corruption within the public sector during his nine-year stint as president. Amid allegations of corruption and under immense pressure from the African National Congress ruling party, Mr Zuma stepped down as South Africa’s leader in February 2018.
Following a disagreement with President Cyril Ramaphosa and his ANC allies, Mr Zuma took on the role of leader of a new political party, the uMkhonto weSizwe (MK) party, towards the end of last year. It has been suggested by various voter polls since January that the MK could become the country’s third or fourth largest party following the general election, largely gaining support from disenchanted ex-ANC members.
South Africa’s constitution excludes anyone who has been handed a prison sentence exceeding 12 months from acquiring a seat in parliament. Despite this, an electoral court dismissed the Independent Electoral Commission’s (IEC) ban of Mr Zuma’s election campaign on the basis of his recent imprisonment, as a probation he was granted significantly altered the length of his sentence. The IEC disputed the electoral court’s decree in the constitutional court in March. On Monday, it was decided that Mr Zuma’s 15-month incarceration term remains valid, restricting him from running for parliament until “five years have passed since the end of his sentence”.
The court stated that the “president can reduce the length of a prison term via a probation, but this doesn’t change the judicially imposed sentence”. MK party spokesperson Nhlamulo Ndhlela declared that the court’s verdict will not affect the remaining campaign, and that Mr Zuma will continue to be the party’s figurehead on the ballot. He went on to say that, “Mr. Zuma doesn’t need to be the president, he’s the brains behind any leader that we appoint”.
In South Africa, the electoral process for the parliament involves voting for political parties instead of individual candidates. Each party prepares an ordered list of members who will occupy the National Assembly seats they secure.