South Africa’s constitutional court ruled on Monday that former president Jacob Zuma was ineligible to run for parliament in this month’s election.
Zuma who resigned as president in 2018, had disputes with the governing African National Congress (ANC) and has been campaigning for a new party called uMkhonto we Sizwe (MK) named after the ANC’s formed armed wing.
ANC risks losing majority in the parliament after three decades in power, and MK represents a major threat especially in Zuma’s home province of KwaZulu-Natal where he is popular.
The ruling is coming following decision in March by South Africa’s electoral commission to disqualify Zuma on the basis that the constitution prohibits anyone sentenced to 12 months in prison or longer, from holding a legislative position.
Zuma was sentenced to 15 months in jail in 2021 for refusing to appear at a corruption inquiry.
Last month, a court overturned the disqualification, saying the relevant section of the constitution applied only to people who had a chance to appeal against their sentences, which had not been Zuma’s case.
The electoral commission then challenged that decision in the constitutional court.
“It is declared that Mr. Zuma was convicted of an offence and sentenced to more than 12 months’ imprisonment… and is accordingly not eligible to be a member of, and not qualified to stand for election to, the National Assembly,” the constitutional court said on Monday in its ruling.
Zuma’s jailing provoked his supporters who caused mayhem in KwaZulu-Natal where over 300 people died. It also led to a looting spree.