South Africa's highest court has declared that former President Jacob Zuma is ineligible to run for parliament in this month's election.

Zuma was forced to resign as president in 2018, has split with the ruling African National Congress (ANC), and is campaigning for a new party called uMkhonto we Sizwe (MK), named after the ANC's newly established armed wing.
PHOTO | COURTESY Jacob Zuma 


Opinion surveys indicate that the ANC's majority is in jeopardy after 30 years in power. MK poses a threat, particularly in Zuma's native province of KwaZulu-Natal, where he is popular.

The case before the constitutional court stems from a decision in March by South Africa's electoral commission to disqualify Zuma because the constitution prohibits anyone given a prison sentence of 12 months or longer from holding a parliamentary seat.

The argument before the constitutional court originates from South Africa's election commission's decision in March to disqualify Zuma because the constitution bars anybody serving a 12-month prison term or longer from holding a parliamentary seat.
PHOTO | COURTESY Jacob Zuma


Zuma received a 15-month prison term in 2021 for failing to appear in a corruption investigation.
In April, a court reversed the disqualification, stating that the relevant clause of the constitution only applied to persons who had the right to appeal their convictions, which Zuma did not have.

The election commission then appealed the ruling to 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.