The South African electoral court has given former president Jacob Zuma permission to run in the next election.
The court reversed the ruling imposed by the Independent Electoral Commission of South Africa (SAIEC) last month, preventing Zuma from running for office, in a ruling on Tuesday.
Zuma’s criminal past prevented him from running in the upcoming elections, according to SAIEC.
Zuma received a 15-month prison sentence in 2021 for disobeying a court’s order to appear before a judicial committee.
The investigation focused on claims of wrongdoing in state-owned businesses and the government from 2009 to 2018, when Zuma was president.
But in a succinct ruling, the electoral court stated that Zuma and his party’s appeal was successful, pointing out that the argument against his candidature had been dismissed.
The court declared, “The Electoral Commission’s decision is set aside.”
After receiving approval, Zuma is anticipated to run for president on behalf of the party he created last year, uMkhonto weSizwe (MK), which he left the African National Congress, or ANC.
The May 29 election is predicted to be the most competitive to occur in the nation since democracy was established in 1994.
Analysts predict the MK party might significantly reduce the vote share of the already troubled ruling ANC by capitalizing on Zuma’s popularity.