Jacob Zuma axed from May 29 parliamentary poll amid fear of unrest

South Africa’s constitutional court has barred former president Jacob Zuma from running in the parliamentary election slated for May 29 in a ruling on Monday.

The judgment could have serious impacts on the outcome of the poll and spark protests among Zuma’s political supporters.

The constitutional court ruled that Zuma’s 15-month jail sentence for contempt of court in 2021 disqualified him from standing in the highly anticipated poll.

It added that the South African law prohibits anyone given a prison sentence of 12 months or beyond from holding a parliamentary seat.

Zuma cannot serve as a lawmaker until five years after that sentence is completed, the court declared.

The court said in its ruling that “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 embattled Zuma has fallen out with the governing African National Congress (ANC) and has been rooting for power through a new party called uMkhonto we Sizwe (MK), named after the ANC’s former armed wing after his removal from office in 2018.

Reacting to the judgment, the MK party said its leadership would meet and take a decisive step from Zuma on the way forward.

Meanwhile, President Cyril Ramaphosa has assured that the security forces in the country are prepared to handle the possible threat of violence as a result of the judgment.

South Africa has had credible, peaceful elections since it became a democracy in 1994, and the May 29 race is expected to put the viability of the process to the test.