South Africa's Apex Court Bars Ex-President Jacob Zuma from Running for Parliament
South Africa’s highest court has ruled that former president Jacob Zuma is ineligible to run for parliament in next week’s critical general election.
The unanimous ruling ends months of speculation and legal battles over whether the former leader of the ruling African National Congress (ANC), now the public face of a rival party, could stand for the country’s top legislative body.
Zuma was forced to resign as president in 2018 following a series of corruption scandals and internal ANC conflicts. He was later found guilty of contempt of court by the same constitutional court for refusing to testify before an anti-corruption commission.
The court ruled on Monday that this sentence bars him from running.
“(Zuma) is accordingly not eligible to be a member of and not qualified to stand for election to the national assembly until five years have elapsed since the completion of his sentence,” stated Justice Leona Theron.
Neeshan Balton, of the Ahmed Kathrada Foundation, expressed approval of the ruling on local television: “We welcomed the judgment, and we think it is well reasoned. A contempt of court sentence is an extremely important sentence, and it is a sentence that cannot be treated lightly. The constitutional court has reaffirmed this.”
Zuma and his newly formed uMkhonto WeSizwe Party pose a spoiler threat to the ANC, particularly in KwaZulu-Natal province. ANC insiders worry that they could erode the ruling party’s support there.
The May 29th vote could be the sternest test yet for the party of Nelson Mandela, with numerous opposition parties vying for votes. Many analysts believe that the ANC’s majority is under threat. While the court ruled that Zuma is ineligible to run for MP, his party will still contest the election, and his face will remain on the ballot.
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