The South African Constitutional Court has ruled that former President Jacob Zuma is barred from participating in the upcoming national election due to a previous criminal conviction. According to AP reports, the court’s decision, announced on Monday, is expected to increase political tensions leading up to the crucial vote.
The Court stated that a section of the constitution, which disqualifies individuals from running for office if they have been sentenced to more than 12 months in prison without the option of a fine, applies to the 82-year-old Zuma.
In 2021, Zuma was sentenced to 15 months in prison by the Constitutional Court for contempt of court after he refused to testify at a judicial inquiry into government corruption.
The issue of whether this sentence would disqualify Zuma from the election arose because he had no option to appeal the ruling that sent him to prison. Initially, the Independent Electoral Committee disqualified him from running in the elections, but he won an appeal to the Electoral Court, which argued that since he had no appeal options against the contempt ruling, it did not apply to his situation.
However, on Monday, the Constitutional Court overturned that decision, stating that Zuma is not allowed to run for Parliament for five years following the completion of his sentence.
Zuma served as the South African president from 2009 to 2018 but resigned amidst corruption allegations. He made a political comeback last year with a new party, the MK Party, and has been highly critical of the ruling African National Congress (ANC) party, which he once led. Due to his popularity in certain parts of the country, Zuma’s new party is expected to impact the ANC’s vote.
Additionally, Zuma is facing corruption charges in a separate case and is scheduled to go on trial next April.
