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Ex-South African President Jacob Zuma Wins a Bid to Be Allowed to Run for President

CC BY 4.0 / en.kremlin.ru / Former South African President Jacob Zuma
Former South African President Jacob Zuma - Sputnik Africa, 1920, 09.04.2024
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Earlier, supporters of the Zuma-backed party warned that protests and disruptions of voting would follow if its candidates were not allowed to run. South Africa's presidency urged citizens not to give in to attempts to destabilize the elections, warning that those who threaten the stability of the elections will face legal consequences.
Former South African President Jacob Zuma on Tuesday won an appeal against the Electoral Commission's decision to disqualify him as a candidate in the general election, according to a ruling by South Africa's Electoral Court, circulated by local media.
"Having heard counsel for the parties and having read the papers [...] The application for leave to appeal is granted," the ruling said.
In late March, South Africa's Electoral Commission upheld objections to former president Jacob Zuma's candidacy for the May general election, citing a constitutional provision barring individuals sentenced to 12 months or more in prison from running for office within 5 years.
Despite the ruling, the uMkhonto we Sizwe (MK) party, which nominated Zuma, has lodged a petition challenging his exclusion from the electoral race. Their argument centers on Zuma's abbreviated prison term of three months out of the mandated 15 months, followed by a presidential pardon from Cyril Ramaphosa.
Legal representatives for the Electoral Commission countered, asserting that the presidential pardon does not nullify Zuma's conviction.
South African President Cyril Ramaphosa - Sputnik Africa, 1920, 08.03.2024
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Zuma was initially sentenced to 15 months in prison in June 2021 for his refusal to testify before a commission investigating financial corruption and nepotism during his tenure as president. He began serving his sentence in July 2021 but was granted parole on medical grounds two months later.
In November 2022, the South African Court of Appeal deemed Zuma's release illegal, ordering him back to prison. However, in August of the following year, Zuma was swiftly pardoned upon his return to incarceration under a special amnesty program aiming to reduce the prison population.
In December 2023, Zuma announced his endorsement of the uMkhonto We Sizwe party, which subsequently named him its presidential candidate in early March.
South Africa's general elections are scheduled for May 29, where voters will cast ballots for a new National Assembly and provincial legislatures.
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