Former South African president Jacob Zuma is set to appear before the African National Congress (ANC) disciplinary committee next Tuesday for allegedly violating party rules by supporting the newly formed uMkhonto weSizwe (MK) in upcoming elections.
According to reports monitored here on Friday, Zuma faces two charges according to the ruling ANC’s constitution. The first accuses him of acting in collaboration with a political organisation not allied with the ANC, and the second for joining or supporting such an organisation.
His appearance on the MK party’s parliamentary list for the May 29 elections has sparked controversy within the ANC and the Independent Electoral Commission of South Africa (IEC), with the latter initially barring the former president from contesting the poll on the grounds that he had previously served his maximum two terms of office.
The IEC decision was later set aside by the courts.
The latest move by the ANC comes as a surprise after the party’s secretary general Fikile Mbalula previously claimed that Zuma had effectively expelled himself and was no longer a member of the party after announcing that he would campaign for MK.
The outcome of the disciplinary hearing could have significant implications for the political landscape ahead of the elections.
JN/APA