Ex-South African President Banned from Upcoming Elections

The Constitutional Court of South Africa made a ruling on Monday that prevented former President Jacob Zuma from participating in the upcoming National Assembly elections due to a prior conviction. Zuma had been sentenced to 15 months in prison in 2021 for failing to appear before a tribunal investigating corruption during his time as president.

Despite serving only two months of his sentence, Zuma was released under a special pardon scheme initiated by President Cyril Ramaphosa to alleviate prison overcrowding. The court’s decision was based on Zuma’s conviction and subsequent imprisonment exceeding 12 months, rendering him ineligible to run for office.

The upcoming elections in South Africa are scheduled for May 29, with the new parliament set to elect a president a month later. Zuma, who recently became the leader of the uMkhonto we Sizwe (MK) opposition party, had faced initial disqualification from candidacy due to his criminal record.

However, the Electoral Court overturned the decision by the Independent Electoral Commission (IEC) in March, stating that the constitutional provision barring convicted individuals from running for office only applied to those with the right to appeal their sentences, which did not apply to Zuma.

Sihle Ngubane, the secretary-general of Zuma’s MK Party, expressed disappointment with the court’s ruling, mentioning that Zuma’s name would remain on the ballot despite the legal challenges.