Zuma wins court appeal against IEC
The South African Electoral Court has confirmed that former president Jacob Zuma will be allowed to run in May’s general elections.
The Electoral Court in Pietermaritzburg and its surroundings was green on Tuesday thanks to hundreds of uMkhonto WeSizwe (MK) Party supporters who went to support former Presdient Jacob Zuma.
Zuma was appealing a judgement made by the Independent Electoral Commission (IEC) to bar him from contesting the upcoming elections on 29 May based on a previous conviction dating back to 2021.
See pictures below from Pietermaritzburg:
The court on Tuesday allowed former president Jacob Zuma to run in May’s general elections, overturning an earlier decision by electoral authorities barring him over a previous conviction.
“The decision of the Electoral Commission… is set aside,” the electoral court wrote in its ruling.
Zuma’s ability to run could be a key factor in the elections’ outcome. The MK party is expected to cut well into the vote share of the already embattled ruling African National Congress (ANC) – the ex-president’s former political home.
The electoral commission had earlier excluded Zuma from the contest, arguing that the constitution bars anyone convicted of an offence and sentenced to more than 12 months’ imprisonment.
Images: @DZumaSambudla