Dark clouds hanging over former president Jacob Zuma gave birth to a plethora of blessings after the Electoral Court on Tuesday dismissed the Electoral Commission of South Africa’s (IEC) decision to disqualify him from contesting the upcoming elections.
This ruling means Zuma, the leader of the newly formed uMkhonto weSizwe Party can contest the elections as a candidate despite that the IEC argued Zuma didn’t qualify to contest elections because he was jailed for 15 months for contempt of court.
It was therefore stated that the decision of the electoral commission of 28 March 2024 in terms of which the electoral commission upheld Dr Maroba Matsapola's objection to the second applicant's candidacy, Mr Zuma , is set aside and substituted with the following: the objection is hereby dismissed.
Earlier, IEC Chairperson Mosotho Moepya said that former president Zuma has been removed from the MK party list as a candidate to contest because of his criminal record.
Moepya told the media that the Electoral Commission followed the letter of the Constitution in coming to its decision to remove former President Zuma from the MK party list.
He added that the apex law of the land stipulates that any person convicted of an offence and sentenced to more than 12 months imprisonment without the option of a fine is disqualified from standing for elections.
According to the IEC Zuma will have to wait until 2029 to contest the general elections because he has not finished five years out of jail term.
IEC also argued that 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.
Meanwhile, Duduzane Zuma, the son of the former president Zuma will not be able to contest his father’s political rival President Cyril Ramaphosa during this year’s elections.
The electoral Commission of South Africa has removed Duduzane’s newly established political party, All Game Changers (AGC) from the national list, citing lack of compliance with the registration process as one of the reasons Zuma’s son was ejected.
Duduzana said: “The recent actions of the IEC mark a pivotal moment in South African history, challenging the very essence of democracy. As barriers to entry are increasingly raised and candidates of merit are unjustly disqualified, our nation faces a deficit of authentic voices in the political arena.”
Former president Jacob Zuma and his son Duduzane Zuma.
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