Former South African President Jacob Zuma criticizes top court over election disqualification
Former South African President Jacob Zuma has criticized the country’s highest court and his former allies in the ruling African National Congress over his disqualification from next week’s election
CAPE TOWN, South Africa (AP) — Former South African President Jacob Zuma on Thursday criticized the country's highest court and his former allies in the ruling African National Congress over his disqualification from next week's election and said he would fight for his rights “in a disciplined way.”
Zuma's comments came in a video message he said was aimed at the people of South Africa and released on social media six days before the possibly pivotal national vote.
The 82-year-old former leader made clear he would still campaign against the ANC he once led in the run-up to Wednesday's election with his new political party, even though he has been barred from standing as a candidate for a return to Parliament six years after he resigned the presidency under a cloud of corruption allegations.
Zuma was disqualified on Monday by the apex Constitutional Court over a section of the constitution that says anyone who has been given a prison sentence of 12 months or more without the option of a fine cannot stand for Parliament until five years after the sentence was completed. Zuma was sentenced to 15 months in prison in 2021 for contempt by the same court for refusing to testify at an inquiry into corruption.
