Former president Jacob Zuma’s fantasy of toppling his political opponent President Cyril Ramaphosa for the top position after this year’s general elections cannot be attained because of his criminal record.
The Independent Electoral Commission (IEC) confirmed this week that Zuma of the newly formed MK political party cannot contest to become president of the country again because he was arrested, convicted and sentenced to 15 months' imprisonment after he was found guilty of defying a summons to appear before the State Capture Commission in 2021.
Zuma who has been lambasting the ANC led by his political nemesis President Ramaphosa and publicly asserting that he will not vote for the ruling party was released on parole which was declared invalid by the Constitutional Court after serving a few months at Estcourt Correctional Services and sometime in 1 Military Hospital.
He returned to the same Correctional Services centre just for his remission to be administered in August last year.
According to Section 47(e) of the country’s Constitution, every citizen who is qualified to vote for the National Assembly is eligible to be a member of the Assembly, except anyone who, after this section took effect, is convicted of an offence and sentenced to more than 12 months imprisonment without the option of a fine, either in the Republic, or outside if the conduct constituting the offence would have been an offence in the Republic.
This section further states that Zuma who received a presidential pardon from President Ramaphosa will have to contest the elections in 2029 general elections Zuma since he has not finished five years out of jail.
The ICE said: “Therefore, this provision renders former president Zuma disqualified to be on the list of any party contesting an election or to contest as an independent in the upcoming 2024 elections.”
MK party’s national spokesperson Nhlamulo Ndlela said the MK party will announce its presidential candidate at the end of the month. He also said MK will elect its office-bearers after the general elections, expected to take place in May.
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