South Africa’s Constitutional Court has ruled that former President Jacob Zuma is disqualified from running for parliament in next week’s general election. The decision stems from Zuma’s 15-month prison sentence for contempt of court, handed down after he refused to testify at a corruption inquiry linked to his presidency, which ended in 2018.
Zuma has been campaigning under the newly formed uMkhonto weSizwe (MK) party after leaving the African National Congress (ANC). MK secretary general Sihle Ngubane said the ruling would not affect the party’s campaign for the 29 May election and affirmed that Zuma remains the party leader.
South Africans vote for parties, with parliamentary seats allocated based on party votes. The electoral commission announced that Zuma’s name would be removed from MK’s candidate list, although his image and the party logo would remain on ballots.
Outside the court, MK supporters sang and danced in support of Zuma, while some attendees inside, dressed in traditional Zulu attire, listened silently as Justice Leona Theron delivered the unanimous judgment. Zuma has not yet commented on the ruling.
The court rejected Zuma’s lawyers’ argument that his release after three months by President Cyril Ramaphosa nullified the remainder of his sentence. Justice Theron emphasized that South Africa’s constitution bars anyone sentenced to 12 months in prison, without the option of a fine, from serving in parliament to safeguard the democratic system established after apartheid.
Political analysts warn that the ruling could test Zuma’s influence within MK. If the party’s support is tied solely to him, its electoral chances may weaken. However, if members believe in MK’s broader cause, they will continue to campaign without him.
MK has faced internal disputes since Zuma replaced founding leader Jabulani Khumalo. Zuma continues to assert leadership while campaigning against the ANC, led by President Ramaphosa, who ousted him in 2018. Zuma’s tenure was marked by allegations of corruption, which he denies.
This will be MK’s first election since its registration last September. The party’s support is strongest in KwaZulu-Natal, Zuma’s home province, and Gauteng, South Africa’s economic hub—key battlegrounds in the upcoming elections.
The court’s decision bars Zuma from serving in both the national parliament and provincial legislatures. Recent opinion polls give MK 8% of the vote, compared with 40% for the ANC, although analysts believe the ANC could still surpass 50%.
Former President Thabo Mbeki has joined the ANC campaign, criticizing Zuma as a “wolf in sheep’s clothing” and a “counter-revolutionary.”
uMkhonto weSizwe, meaning “Spear of the Nation,” was originally the armed wing of the ANC during the anti-apartheid struggle.
