Judges in South Africa are set to deliver a ruling on Tuesday regarding the eligibility of former president Jacob Zuma to appear on the ballot in the upcoming May elections.
Zuma, who is vying for a position with a new opposition party, has appealed against a decision by electoral authorities to disqualify him from the election due to a conviction in 2021.
The 81-year-old was present in a Johannesburg court on Monday, where lawyers presented arguments in the case. Following the hearing, a cheerful Zuma addressed his supporters, stating, “If the masses want me to be president, what’s going to stop them? Allow me to go and finish what I started.”
South Africa is gearing up for general elections scheduled for May 29, which are anticipated to be the most fiercely contested since the country’s transition to democracy in 1994.
The ruling African National Congress (ANC) is facing challenges in the polls and risks losing its majority in parliament for the first time since the end of apartheid, amid economic struggles and accusations of corruption and mismanagement.
Voters will cast their ballots to elect a new parliament, which will subsequently choose the president.
In March, the electoral commission cited the constitution’s provision barring individuals convicted of an offense and sentenced to more than 12 months’ imprisonment from running for office.
Zuma received a 15-month jail term in June 2021 for defying a panel investigating financial corruption and cronyism during his presidency. However, his legal team contends that the conviction does not disqualify him as it stemmed from civil rather than criminal proceedings.
Lawyer Dali Mpofu, representing Zuma, argued in court on Monday that his client’s sentence effectively amounted to only three months following a remission.
