Former South African President Jacob Zuma has been granted permission to contest the upcoming general election in May, as a result of an electoral court overturning the ban on his candidacy.
Last month, Zuma was disqualified by the electoral commission due to a contempt of court conviction, citing constitutional restrictions on holding public office for those convicted of crimes with sentences exceeding 12 months.
Zuma, 81, has been actively campaigning for the newly formed uMkhonto we Sizwe (MK) party, a breakaway from the ruling African National Congress (ANC), which he once represented.
Despite facing corruption allegations during his presidency from 2009 to 2018, Zuma’s court victory allows him to lead the MK party in the upcoming election.
This decision carries significant implications for the election’s outcome, potentially impacting the dominance of the ANC, which has ruled for three decades.
The emergence of the MK party, particularly popular in Zuma’s native KwaZulu-Natal region, marking a paradigm shift in South African politics and poses a challenge to the ANC’s longstanding authority.
