South Africa’s constitutional court, on Monday, declared that former President Jacob Zuma is not eligible to run for parliament in this month’s election.

The case stems from a decision in March by South Africa’s electoral commission to disqualify Zuma on the basis that the constitution prohibits anyone given a prison sentence of 12 months or longer from holding a parliamentary seat.

The former president was in 2021 sentenced to 15 months in jail for failing to appear at a corruption inquiry.

Ex-South African president Zuma involved in accident

In April, 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.

The electoral commission then challenged that decision in the constitutional court, according to Reuters.

The Star