Former South African President Jacob Zuma has cautioned the Electoral Commission (IEC) against interfering in the nation’s political affairs but instead solely focus on ensuring free and fair elections.
Zuma made the comments on Monday evening while addressing scores of uMkhonto weSizwe (MK) party members outside the South Gauteng High Court, where the IEC and the MK party are engaged in a court battle over his candidature for the elections scheduled for May 29.
Zuma said it was not the IEC’s position to engage in parliamentary or political affairs, adding, “That party that will win together with other parties will discuss the issue of who will be president in parliament, not at the IEC. This is really shocking,” South Africa’s SABC reports.
Zuma also said he had the right to run again if South Africans wanted him to do so, arguing that he had not completed his two terms as president.
'Right to run'
“Even if I say I want to stand as president, no one will stop me. I was taken out before my term ended as president,” Zuma told his supporters.
South Africa's former President Jacob Zuma on Tuesday filed an appeal against a decision by electoral officials barring him from running in elections as tensions mount ahead of the May polls.
Last week, the electoral commission excluded the 81-year-old politician, who is campaigning for a new opposition party, over a 2021 contempt of court conviction.
Zuma was sentenced to 15 months in jail in June 2021 after refusing to testify before a panel probing financial corruption and cronyism under his presidency.
He was freed on medical parole just two months into his term.
Pending appeal decision
The electoral commission argued he could not run in May because, under the constitution, "any person who was convicted of an offence and sentenced to more than 12 months imprisonment without the option of a fine" cannot stand in an election.
MK party members outside the court expressed confidence that Zuma would prevail in the case.
The Electoral Court is expected to make a decision not only on the case of the MK party but also on five other appeals that were brought before it on Tuesday.
➤Click here to follow our WhatsApp channel for more stories.
