Judgement raises the possibility of disturbances connected to the election.In the vote on May 29, the ruling party could lose the majority.
Jacob Zuma is not allowed to serve in parliament, according to South Africa’s highest court.
The former president Mr. Zuma’s political rebirth has created a test for the nation’s nascent democracy with elections just a week away.
Just over a week before significant national elections, South Africa’s top court decided on Monday that former President Jacob Zuma was unable to hold office and serve in Parliament. This ruling could intensify political unrest in the nation.
The Constitutional Court declared that Mr. Zuma was unable to run for office in the May 29 election due to a prior criminal conviction, overriding the earlier ruling of a special electoral court.
Amidst huge protests, Mr. Zuma, the former head of the African National Congress, resigned from office as president in 2018.
He was found guilty and given a sentence three years later for neglecting to show up for a corruption investigation.
The attempted political resurrection of Mr. Zuma has put South Africa’s nascent democracy to the test.
After his arrest in July 2021, he became the first former president to serve time in prison in South Africa following the end of apartheid. However, he was freed on medical parole after just two months of serving a 15-month term. After his medical parole was revoked by the Constitutional Court, Mr. Zuma was granted a presidential pardon by Mr. Ramaphosa, his former political foe.
The duration of Mr. Zuma’s sentence determined the court’s judgment. The court determined that even though he received a remission that shortened his prison term, his 15-month sentence disqualified him from running.
A person cannot have a position in the National Assembly if they have been found guilty of a crime and given a sentence of more than 12 months in jail, as per South African law.
Justice Leona Theron ruled, “It is declared that Mr. Zuma was found guilty of an offense and sentenced to more than 12 months’ imprisonment.”
The judge further stated that Mr. Zuma will not be “eligible and not qualified” to run for office for five years following the end of his imprisonment.
The 82-year-old Mr. Zuma had intended to run for office as the head of uMkhonto weSizwe, a new party created to oppose the African National Congress, which has controlled the nation since apartheid ended three decades ago.
The political situation in South Africa has become extremely unstable as a result of Mr. Zuma’s decision to lead and advocate for an opposition party. uMkhonto weSizwe, or M.K., was established in December and has grown to be one of the most well-known opposition groups in an election when a record 52 parties are running for seats on the national ballot.
Voters in South Africa tend to support parties over individuals, but M.K. seems to be counting on the attractiveness of a well-known figure to win over supporters as Mr. Zuma’s image is prominently displayed on all of its campaign posters and t-shirts.
Even though Mr. Zuma stepped down as president in 2018, he is still well-liked in South Africa’s political scene and his populist speech has resonated with those who feel wronged by the A.N.C.
