JOHANNESBURG: South Africa’s former president Jacob Zuma on Tuesday filed an appeal against a decision by electoral officials barring him from running in general elections as political tensions mount ahead of the May election, AFP reported.
Last week, the electoral commission announced the exclusion of the 81-year-old politician, who is campaigning for a new opposition party, citing his 2021 contempt of court conviction.
In court documents, Zuma’s legal team argued that the conviction did not disqualify him from participating in the elections, asserting that he was not charged with a criminal offense and was not involved in any criminal trial proceedings.
According to the constitution, the electoral commission stated that persons convicted of an offense and sentenced to more than 12 months imprisonment without the option of a fine are ineligible to stand in an election.
Zuma was sentenced to 15 months in jail in June 2021 after he refused to testify before a panel investigating financial corruption and cronyism during his presidency.
South Africa is scheduled to hold general elections on May 29, which are anticipated to be the most competitive since the country’s transition to democracy in 1994. The ruling African National Congress (ANC) is expected to face significant challenges amid a weak economy and allegations of corruption and mismanagement.
Zuma, who served as the fourth president of democratic South Africa from 2009 to 2018, has been actively campaigning for the opposition uMkhonto we Sizwe (MK) party in an effort to revive his political career. He has criticized members of his former party, the ANC, as “traitors”.
Despite facing corruption allegations and being forced out of office, Zuma continues to wield political influence and remains a prominent figure in South African politics.
