The South African Constitutional Court will decide whether ex-President Jacob Zuma can contest in the upcoming elections. Source: AP
South Africa’s Electoral Commission has dragged South Africa’s Jacob Zuma, to the country’s top court. The poll body on Friday said it has launched an “urgent and direct” appeal to the Constitutional Court to rule on whether the ex-President can stand in the upcoming general elections.
Why is Zuma’s candidacy in question?
Zuma’s ambition to score another term as President of South Africa has now gotten tangled into a legal tussle.
Last month, the independent Electoral Commission barred Zuma from contesting in the elections.
The decision concerned a 2021 court ruling that sentenced Zuma to 15 months in jail. That verdict had to do with the former President refusing to testify to a panel investigating corruption and cronyism during his reign.
The South African Constitution does not allow people sentenced to over 12 months in prion to contest elections. Citing these grounds, the Electoral Commission excluded the 81-year-old Zuma from the race.
Legal questions linger
Zuma contested the election management body’s decision in the court. His lawyers argued that since his sentence followed civil proceedings, not criminal ones, it should not lead to his disqualification. They also pointed out that Zuma’s jail term had been shortened by a remission.
In a surprise verdict on Tuesday, the Electoral Court ruled that Zuma can stand, overturning a decision by the electoral commission.
Following that unexpected verdict, the Electoral Commission took Zuma’s case to the top court in South Africa. They said there was “substantial public interest in providing certainty on the proper interpretation” of the constitutional article about the candidacies of people who have been convicted.
How will the court’s verdict impact the elections?
The May 29 South African general elections are expected to be the most competitive in the country since 1994. Zuma’s presence or absence will be a critical factor in the outcome.
Zuma’s newly founded uMkhonto we Sizwe (MK) party is likely to benefit from his popularity and cut into the voter share of the ruling African National Congress (ANC).
Zuma’s presence could lead to the ANC’s vote share dropping below the 50 per cent mark for the first time since South Africa became a democracy in 1994.
If the party cannot secure a parliamentary majority, it will be forced to cobble together coalition partners to remain in power.
With inputs from agencies
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Source link : https://www.firstpost.com/world/south-africa-election-jacob-zuma-electoral-commission-case-13758979.html/amp
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Publish date : 2024-04-12 07:00:00
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