Former South Africa leader Jacob Zuma is prohibited from running in elections, election officials announce

Former South African President Jacob Zuma is not qualified to run in forthcoming elections, the Independent Electoral Commission has declared.

The commission announced at a media conference on Thursday that it had maintained a complaint against Zuma’s candidacy in the May 29 elections.

In July 2021, Zuma was sentenced to 15 months in prison for disregarding a court order to appear before a judicial commission that was investigating corruption accusations during his 2009-2018 presidency. He was granted medical release on parole after serving two months and agreed to complete the remaining sentence under house arrest.

South Africa’s Constitution prevents people found guilty and sentenced to more than a year’s confinement, with no possibility of a fine, from holding public office.