Former President Jacob Zuma banned from participating in elections in South Africa

The Constitutional Court has ruled that Jacob Zuma, leader of the newly formed uMkhonto weSizwe Party (MKP), cannot participate in the general elections on May 29 due to his criminal record.

The Constitution of South Africa prohibits individuals who have been sentenced to more than 12 months in prison from becoming members of parliament.

Zuma, who faces investigations for numerous crimes including corruption and money laundering, has a criminal record stemming from a 15-month prison sentence he received in 2021 for contempt of court.

WHO IS JACOB ZUMA?

Zuma is known as one of the prominent figures in the struggle against the racist apartheid regime that ruled the country between 1948 and 1994.

Zuma, who led South Africa from 2009 to 2018, was removed from office by his party, the ANC, following allegations of corruption and money laundering against him.

Zuma was sentenced to 15 months in prison for contempt of court in 2021 for failing to attend a hearing in a corruption investigation against him, which was followed by days of violence and looting in Gauteng and KwaZulu-Natal, some of the country's most populous provinces.

According to official records, 354 people lost their lives in these events, and over 1 billion dollars in damage occurred according to insurance records.

After being hospitalized for surgery on August 14, 2021, Zuma was released to his home to serve the remainder of his sentence under medical supervision despite objections, and he regained his freedom in 2023 by benefiting from a special remission. Zuma, who resigned from the ANC last year, had founded the MKP.

News Source: 12punto