South Africa’s Electoral Court has ruled that former President Jacob Zuma can run for office in the upcoming general election, overturning a previous decision that had barred him from contesting the polls. This decision clears the way for Zuma to potentially run for president on behalf of the uMkhonto weSizwe Party (MK), a new political organization he joined last year after distancing himself from the ruling African National Congress party.
The upcoming election on May 29 will see South Africans elect 400 members of the General Assembly, with the new parliament then selecting the country's president a month later. The Independent Electoral Commission initially disqualified Zuma from running due to his criminal record, as he was convicted and sentenced to 15 months in prison in 2021 for defying a court order related to corruption allegations during his presidency from 2009 to 2018.
However, the Electoral Court's ruling in favor of Zuma's appeal means that the objection against his candidacy has been dismissed, allowing him to appear on the ballot as the MK Party's presidential candidate. While this increases the likelihood of Zuma being elected as a lawmaker, it remains uncertain if the MK Party can secure a parliamentary majority necessary for its candidate to become president.
The uMkhonto weSizwe Party expressed satisfaction with the court's decision, emphasizing that they have always believed the electoral commission's initial ban on Zuma was unjust. The party's spokesman highlighted that Zuma's rights needed to be upheld and confirmed that he would be their presidential candidate and a member of Parliament following the elections.
Political analyst Dirk Kotze from the University of South Africa suggested that Zuma might leverage this court victory to reinforce his claims that the initial ban on his candidacy was politically motivated.
