Home News 81 Years Jacob Zuma Wins Court Battle to Contest Upcoming South Africa Election
NewsPoliticsWorld

81 Years Jacob Zuma Wins Court Battle to Contest Upcoming South Africa Election

487
Zuma

A Tuesday ruling by a South African court has declared former President Jacob Zuma fit to participate in the upcoming general election, overturning a previous decision that had barred him from entering the electoral race.

The Electoral Court’s verdict allowed Zuma to potentially run for the presidency representing the uMkhonto weSizwe Party (MK), a political group he joined last year after he left the African National Congress (ANC), a party he once led.

The electoral commission initially disqualified Zuma from candidacy due to his criminal record, arguing that the constitution prohibited people from holding public office if they were convicted of a crime and sentenced to more than 12 months in prison.

In its ruling, the court nullified the Electoral Commission’s decision, paving the way for Zuma’s participation in the electoral process.

Zuma served as the fourth president of South Africa from 2009 to 2018, when he stepped down due to corruption allegations.

In June 2021, he was sentenced to 15 months in jail after refusing to testify to a panel investigating financial corruption during his presidency.

According to Aljazeera reports, his lawyers on Monday told the court that the sentence didn’t render the politician ineligible since it stemmed from civil, not criminal, proceedings and had been reduced due to remission.

Following the court’s ruling in favour of the ex-president, Zuma, at 81, becomes the face of the uMkhonto weSizwe (MK) party in the upcoming May 29 general election.

Read: UNHCR: Over 8.5 Million Sudanese Forced to Flee Amid Escalating Conflict

About The Author

Related Articles

News

Côte d’Ivoire Arrests, Extradites Beninese Journalist to Cotonou

A Beninese journalist, Comlan Hugues Sossoukpè, known for his criticism of President...

Nigerian Senate President, Godswill Akpabio, has filed a formal appeal seeking to overturn a recent federal high court judgment that ordered the Senate to lift the suspension of Senator Natasha Akpoti-Uduaghan, who represents Kogi Central.
NewsPolitics

Nigerian Senate President, Akpabio Appeals Court Ruling Overturning Suspension of Senator Natasha

Nigerian Senate President, Godswill Akpabio, has filed a formal appeal seeking to...

Nigerien Armed Forces
NewsSecurity

Niger Army Destroys Terrorist Base Near Nigerian Border, 15 Militants Neutralised

The Nigerien Armed Forces have successfully destroyed a major terrorist base near...

News

Ghana’s Prisons to Produce 20% of Sanitary Pads, 30% of Desks and Uniforms for Schools– Interior Minister

The Minister for the Interior, Hon. Muntaka Mubarak, has announced that inmates...