South Africa’s ex-President Jacob Zuma barred from running for parliament

South Africa’s Constitutional Court has ruled that former President Jacob Zuma is ineligible to run for parliament in the upcoming general election due to his 15-month prison sentence for contempt of court.

Zuma was convicted in 2021 for refusing to testify at an inquiry investigating corruption during his presidency, which ended in 2018. He has been campaigning under the banner of the newly formed uMkhonto weSizwe (MK) party after falling out with the governing African National Congress (ANC).

The court’s decision was unanimous, with Justice Leona Theron stating that Zuma’s prison sentence disqualified him from running for parliament. MK secretary general Sihle Ngubane expressed disappointment but said the ruling would not affect the party’s campaign. Zuma’s supporters outside the court portrayed him as a victim, while some leaders had previously threatened violence if he was disqualified.

South Africa’s constitution bars anyone sentenced to 12 months in prison without the option of a fine from serving in parliament, aiming to protect the integrity of the democratic regime established after apartheid ended in 1994.

The ruling may weaken MK’s chances in the election if its members joined the party out of loyalty to Zuma. However, if they genuinely believed in the party’s cause, they would need to focus on its activities without him. MK has been plagued by in-fighting since last month, and Zuma’s removal from the election may impact the party’s support.

South Africans will vote for political parties on May 29, with candidates at the top of the lists getting parliamentary seats depending on the number of votes the party receives. The ANC, led by President Cyril Ramaphosa, is seeking to extend its 30-year rule, while MK’s emergence has raised the prospect of the ANC losing its parliamentary majority for the first time.