The Electoral Court of South Africa issued a ruling on Tuesday permitting former President Jacob Zuma to participate as a candidate in the forthcoming election, overturning a previous decision that had disqualified him from running.
This ruling clears the path for Zuma to potentially contest the presidency under the banner of the uMkhonto weSizwe Party, a recent political entity he aligned with after severing ties with the ruling African National Congress, which he formerly led.
Initially, the Independent Electoral Commission had barred Zuma’s candidacy citing his criminal record, following an objection lodged against his nomination.
According to South Africa’s constitution, individuals convicted of a crime and sentenced to more than 12 months in prison without the possibility of a fine are ineligible to run for office as lawmakers.
Zuma faced a 15-month prison sentence in 2021 for failing to comply with a court directive to testify before a commission investigating corruption allegations within the government and state-owned enterprises during his tenure as president from 2009 to 2018.
Nonetheless, in a concise court statement released on Tuesday, it was declared that an appeal filed by Zuma and his party had been successful, leading to the dismissal of objections against his candidacy.
