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Top Court Declares Ex-President Jacob Zuma Ineligible To Run In Elections

SOUTH AFRICA

South Africa's Constitutional Court unanimously decided to declare former President Jacob Zuma ineligible to stand in the upcoming election to the National Assembly due to a prison sentence he received in 2021.

  • The constitution prohibits anyone who received a prison sentence of more than 12 months from running in elections for five years after the completion of the sentence. Zuma's lawyers were arguing that his sentence was reduced to three months in virtue of a presidential pardon, but the top court found it irrelevant to the matter.
  • This comes as a setback for Zuma's MK Party, which is preparing for the national and provincial elections slated for May 29. The verdict will lead to the removal of Zuma's name from the top position of the party's national candidate list. It can be expected that the MK Party will be trying to portray the verdict as politically motivated.
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South Africa's Constitutional Court unanimously decided to declare former President Jacob Zuma ineligible to stand in the upcoming election to the National Assembly due to a prison sentence he received in 2021.

  • The constitution prohibits anyone who received a prison sentence of more than 12 months from running in elections for five years after the completion of the sentence. Zuma's lawyers were arguing that his sentence was reduced to three months in virtue of a presidential pardon, but the top court found it irrelevant to the matter.
  • This comes as a setback for Zuma's MK Party, which is preparing for the national and provincial elections slated for May 29. The verdict will lead to the removal of Zuma's name from the top position of the party's national candidate list. It can be expected that the MK Party will be trying to portray the verdict as politically motivated.