Former South African President Jacob Zuma has been disqualified from running for a seat in Parliament in the upcoming national election due to a previous criminal conviction, as ruled by the country’s highest court on Monday. Zuma led South Africa from 2009 to 2018 but stepped down amid internal pressure from the ANC and allegations of widespread government graft during his tenure. His refusal to testify at a judicial inquiry into these allegations led to a contempt sentence, triggering a week of looting and rioting that resulted in over 350 deaths. Zuma was released on medical parole after serving two months of his 15-month sentence.
Zuma, who faces separate corruption charges from before his presidency and is expected to go on trial next April, had his disqualification confirmed by the Constitutional Court. The court determined that a constitutional provision disqualifying individuals from standing for Parliament if they have been sentenced to more than 12 months in prison without the option of a fine applies to Zuma. He cannot serve as a lawmaker until five years after completing his criminal sentence. This ruling comes just nine days before the May 29 election.
Zuma returned to politics late last year with a new party, uMkhonto weSizwe (MK), and renewed his criticism of the ANC and current President Cyril Ramaphosa. Despite his disqualification, the MK Party can still contest the election, although Zuma’s name will be removed from its list of proposed candidates. The party launched its manifesto with Zuma at the center of the rally, and his image can remain on the party’s election regalia.
The ANC faces its biggest challenge since the end of apartheid, struggling to maintain its parliamentary majority. If the ANC receives less than 50% of the vote, it will need a coalition to form a government and reelect Ramaphosa for a second and final term. While Zuma’s MK Party is not expected to overtake the ANC, it could erode the ruling party’s vote share, complicating its efforts to retain a majority. Zuma still enjoys significant support, and the latest court ruling increases political tensions, especially after some MK Party officials suggested they would reject any decision disqualifying Zuma from being a candidate.
South Africa has held credible, peaceful elections since becoming a democracy in 1994. The case over Zuma’s disqualification arose because he had no option to appeal the 2021 ruling. Initially disqualified by the electoral commission, Zuma successfully challenged that decision at the Electoral Court, but Monday’s ruling overturned that decision and confirmed his disqualification.