South Africa's former President Jacob Zuma has been disqualified from participating in the May 2024 elections due to his previous conviction.

South Africa's electoral commission announced on Thursday that former President Jacob Zuma has been disqualified from standing in the upcoming May 29 general election. Mosotho Moepya, the commission's president, confirmed to reporters that they had received an objection regarding Zuma's candidacy, which has been upheld. However, Moepya did not provide specific details regarding the objection.

He stated that both the nominating party and those objecting to Zuma's candidacy have been informed of the decision. The commission specified that the decision is subject to appeal, provided it is lodged before April 2.

Zuma, 81, was forced out of office in 2018 under a cloud of corruption allegations. He is campaigning for the opposition uMkhonto we Sizwe (MK) party in an attempt to relaunch his career and weaken his former party, the ruling African National Congress (ANC).

The general election, after which the victor will appoint a president, is set to be tense. The ANC is on the brink of dropping below 50% of the vote for the first time since it came to power at the end of apartheid.

That scenario would compel the party to forge a coalition to retain power. The ANC is hemorrhaging support amidst a fragile economy and allegations of corruption and mismanagement.

According to the electoral commission's statement, the constitution stipulates that "any person who was convicted of an offence and sentenced to more than 12 months imprisonment without the option of a fine" cannot run in an election. Zuma received a 15-month jail sentence in June 2021 for defying a panel investigating financial corruption and cronyism during his presidency.

In addition to his 2021 contempt conviction, he faces separate charges of corruption related to an arms procurement scandal in the 1990s, during his tenure as vice president.