(20 May 2024)
RESTRICTIONS SUMMARY:
ASSOCIATED PRESS
Johannesburg, South Africa – 20 May 2024
1. Various of uMkhonto weSizwe (MK) Party supporters singing and dancing outside the Constitutional Court
2. SOUNDBITE (English) Sihle Ngubane, MK Party Secretary General:
“This is the highest court in the land, and we can’t challenge this decision. But we’ll make our decision as an executive what to do from here onwards, dictated by Jacob Zuma.”
3. Mid of MK Party Deputy Secretary General about address supporters
4. SOUNDBITE (English/Zulu) Aurthur Zwane, MK Party Deputy Secretary General:
“I think a decision basically says President Zuma is not going to go to Parliament. But the decision of MK is simple. It says we’re are looking for two-thirds majority in order to change the constitution. Now, it is when we have changed the constitution that President Zuma goes to Parliament. So ours is to go and work.”
5. Wide of MK Party supporter holding a poster of Jacob Zuma
6. SOUNDBITE (English) Andile Mngxitama, MK Party Supporter:
“uMkhonto WeSizwe on the ballot is represented by President Zuma. All this court says is President Zuma cannot go to Parliament and be a member of Parliament. Who said President Zuma wanted to become a member of Parliament? He has been saying over and over again that key leaders of MK will stay outside of parliament to monitor those who are being sent to Parliament.”
7. Various of MK Party supporters singing while holding posters of Zuma outside the Constitutional Court
STORYLINE:
South Africa’s former president Jacob Zuma was disqualified Monday from standing in a national election next week because of a previous criminal conviction.
The decision by South Africa’s highest court is bound to raise political tensions ahead of a pivotal vote.
The Constitutional Court said that a section of the constitution disqualifying people from standing for office if they’ve been sentenced to more than 12 months in prison without the option of a fine does apply to the 82-year-old Zuma. Zuma was sentenced to 15 months in prison in 2021 by the Constitutional Court for contempt for refusing to testify at a judicial inquiry into government corruption.
The case over whether that sentence disqualified Zuma from next Wednesday’s election came about because he had no option to appeal the ruling by the apex court that sent him to prison.
He was initially disqualified by the Independent Electoral Committee that runs South Africa’s elections before he won an appeal to the Electoral Court, which said that because he didn’t have any appeal options against the contempt ruling, it doesn’t apply in his situation.
The Constitutional Court overturned that on Monday. It said Zuma is not allowed to run for Parliament for five years from when his sentence was completed.
Zuma was South African president from 2009-2018, but resigned under a cloud of corruption allegations. He made a return to politics last year with a new party and has been fiercely critical of the ruling African National Congress party he once led.
AP video shot by Sebabatso Mosamo
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