South African court rules Zuma ‘not eligible’ to run for parliament
Al Jazeera
Constitutional Court says 2021 contempt of court conviction disqualifies former president for May 29 election.
South Africa’s former President Jacob Zuma has been barred from running for parliament in next week’s general election.
The Constitutional Court ruled on Monday that Zuma’s 15-month jail sentence for contempt of court in 2021 disqualifies him from standing in the May 29 election. The ruling is likely to increase political tension ahead of the pivotal vote.
The ruling is based on South Africa’s constitution, which prohibits anyone given a prison sentence of 12 months or more from holding a parliamentary seat.
“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 court said.
Zuma, 82, who was forced to quit as president in 2018, has fallen out with the governing African National Congress (ANC) and has been campaigning for the new uMkhonto we Sizwe (MK) party.
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