South Africa's top court declares former President Zuma ineligible for election

South Africa's constitutional court ruled on Monday (May 20) that former president Jacob Zuma is ineligible to be elected a member of the National Assembly in next week's general election.

The top court threw out Zuma's complaint against an electoral commission decision that a previous conviction for contempt prevents him from becoming a Member of Parliament.

The constitutional court upheld that Zuma's 15-month jail sentence for contempt of court in 2021 disqualified him from standing in the May 29 election.

South Africa's constitution prohibits anyone given a prison sentence of 12 months or longer from holding a parliamentary seat.

"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 court ruling said.

Zuma was forced to quit as president in 2018. Hehas fallen out with the ruling African National Congress (ANC) and has been campaigning for a new party called uMkhonto we Sizwe (MK) named after the ANC's former armed wing.

What does it mean for South Africa's politics?

Opinion polls suggest that while African National Congress, in power for 30 years, may emerge as the biggest party, it will still be short ofmajority.

In Zuma's home province of KwaZulu-Natal, he remains popular and poses a threat to the ANC.

In 2021, Zuma's jailing triggered riots in KwaZulu-Natal in which more than 300 people died and which morphed into a wider spate of looting.

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Asked about the potential for violence in the wake of the constitutional court ruling during an interview with local radio station 702, President Cyril Ramaphosa said: "I'm not concerned about this instigating violence."

"We have rule of law in South Africa that governs us. Once a constitutional court has decided, that is it and should there be any threat of violence our security forces are ready," he said.

South Africa's electoral commission originally disqualified Zuma in March.

However a month later, a court overturned the disqualification saying the relevant section of the constitution applied only to people who had a chance to appeal against their sentences, which had not been Zuma's case.

(With inputs from agencies)