South Africa’s Electoral Court on Tuesday ruled that former president Jacob Zuma is free to run in May’s general elections, overturning a decision by the country’s poll body to bar him from contesting over a previous conviction.
The court ruled in favour of Zuma after the Independent Electoral Commission of South Africa (IEC) had late last month rejected nomination papers for the 81-year-old ex-president over a 2021 contempt of court conviction.
The IEC had argued at the time that South Africa’s constitution disqualified people convicted of a crime and sentenced to more than 12 months in prison from holding public office.
However, the court set aside the IEC’s decision but did not give further details.
Zuma was sentenced to 15 months in prison in June 2021 following his conviction for ignoring a Constitutional Court order to appear before a panel that was investigating alleged corruption during his tenure as South Africa’s president between 2008 and 2018.
The former president is fronting the opposition uMkhonto we Sizwe party, formed in December 2023 and made up of disgruntled former ruling African National Congress (ANC) supporters.
Tuesday’s court ruling is seen further affecting the ANC’s prospects in a May 29 polls where the odds are already heavily stacked against the ruling party, which is struggling to win back public trust amid service delivery concerns, high-level corruption, deteriorating economic conditions, rising crime and shortages of electricity.
Opinion polls point to a drop in the ANC’s share of votes this year dropping below 50 percent for the first time since independence in 1994.
JN/APA