South Africa’s former President Jacob Zuma has been barred from contesting upcoming elections scheduled for May, the electoral commission said, as reported by Al Jazeera.
South Africa will hold its general elections on May 29 in what is expected to be the most competitive vote since the end of apartheid in 1994.
Former President Zuma has been campaigning for the recently formed uMkhonto WeSizwe (MK) (Spear of the Nation) party in an attempt to restart his career after he was previously in prison for contempt of court in 2021, according to Al Jazeera.
“In the case of former President Zuma, yes, we did receive an objection, which has been upheld,” Electoral Commission President Mosotho Moepya said.
“The party that has nominated him has been informed,” as have those objecting to the move, he added.
The governing African National Congress (ANC) is on the verge of dropping below 50 per cent of the vote for the first time since it came to power in 1994, Al Jazeera reported.
The party needs support amid a weak economy and allegations of corruption and mismanagement.
Reportedly, if the ANC secures below the 50 per cent threshold, it will force the party, once led by Nelson Mandela, to form a coalition to stay in office.
Notably, Zuma’s tenure ended in 2018 with corruption allegations when incumbent Cyril Ramaphosa replaced him.
He was later sentenced to 15 months in jail in June 2021 after refusing to testify for a panel that later probed financial corruption and cronyism under his presidency, as reported by Al Jazeera.
His jailing prompted protests, riots and looting that left more than 350 dead.
Later, he was freed on medical parole just two months into his term.
An appeals court later ruled that Zuma’s release was illegally granted and ordered him back to jail, Al Jazeera reported.
But on returning to a correctional centre, he immediately benefited from the remission of non-violent offenders approved by Ramaphosa.
The electoral commission said in a statement that under the constitution, “any person who was convicted of an offence and sentenced to more than 12 months imprisonment without the option of a fine” cannot stand in an election.
Additionally, Zuma is also facing corruption charges in an arms procurement scandal in the 1990s when he was vice president.