The Independent Electoral Commission has declared Jacob Zuma, the former president of South Africa, ineligible to contest in the forthcoming elections. The barring was announced during a press conference in which they upheld an objection to Mr Zuma’s candidacy for the elections taking place on the 29th of May.
In July of last year, the ex-president received a 15-month jail sentence for refusing to comply with a court order demanding his presence before a judicial body investigating corruption charges during his 2009-2018 reign. After serving only two months, he was granted house arrest for the remainder of his sentence due to medical reasons.
According to the South African constitution, anyone who has been convicted and served more than 12 months in prison without the option of a fine, is prohibited from holding public office. Mr. Zuma and his lawyers precipitously left the judicial proceedings when faced with comprehensive corruption allegations during his tenure, including the possible influence of an Indian family, the Guptas, on his cabinet selections. He has until the upcoming Tuesday to contest the commission’s decision.
Mr. Zuma, now aged 81, is the face of the newly emerged political party named uMkhonto weSizwe Party or MK. Impressively, this party has emerged as a solid contender in the upcoming elections following Mr. Zuma’s denouncement of the governing party, the African National Congress, which he also previously led. Named after the ANC’s former military arm that was dissolved at the end of apartheid, the party is turning heads.
In a significant pre-election development, Mr. Zuma has publicly announced his departure from ANC. As the party’s most recognisable figure, he features prominently on MK party’s election posters and is the key speaker at their rallies.
The MK party celebrated a win this week when the court dismissed an application by the ANC to have them deregistered and disallowed from contesting in the forthcoming elections. In an unrelated case, the ANC is challenging MK’s use of a name and logo which they claim bears similarity to the ANC’s old military wing.
News24, a local news source, recently reported a car accident involving Mr. Zuma, although he apparently emerged unscathed.