The court says Jacob Zuma can contest the South African election
The former President of South Africa, Jacob Zuma, can run in the elections as a candidate of the Umkhonto weSizwe Party (MK), the Electoral Court has decided.
Last Tuesday, the court threw out the decision of the South African Electoral Commission (IEC) to prevent Zuma from running for a seat in Parliament .
The IEC said he could not be a candidate because he was sentenced to 15 months in prison for contempt of court . The court has annulled the decision .
At the end of March, the Electoral Commission of South Africa passed an objection against the former president, Jacob Zuma, to run in the general election in May, citing the provision of the Constitution that says a person sentenced to prison for 12 months or more cannot be elected for 5 years .
However, the MK party has filed a petition against his disqualification from the election race, saying that Zuma served only three months out of the 15 months he was required to serve before being pardoned by the order of President Cyril Ramaphosa .
South Africa's general election will take place on May 29, when citizens will vote for a new National Assembly and state assemblies .
Supporters of the MK party warned that they will protest and disrupt the voting process if its candidates are not allowed to contest. The Office of the President of South Africa urged citizens not to accept attempts to disrupt the election, warning that those who threaten stability in the election will face legal action .
