Jacob Zuma during trial
The disciplinary committee of South Africa’s ruling ANC has decided to dismiss former President Jacob Zuma for leading a rival organization into elections in May.
The decision, which has not been formally announced, was made following disciplinary proceedings against the still-popular former leader earlier this month.
The African National Congress suspended the scandal-tainted former leader in January, a month after he endorsed the newly founded uMkhonto weSizwe (MK).
MK reduced the ANC’s vote share in the May 29 elections, finishing third with 14.5%. Zuma currently leads the party, which has 58 representatives in the 400-member National Assembly.
The ANC received 40% of the vote in May, its lowest total since it took office three decades ago to abolish the apartheid regime. Zuma’s ANC membership might be revoked if he does not successfully appeal the verdict, according to multiple reports.
Zuma joined the ANC’s youth league in 1959. Zuma, who was elected president of South Africa in 2009, was forced to resign in 2018 due to corruption charges and was succeeded by long-time adversary President Cyril Ramaphosa.
Many people assumed his political career was over after he was sentenced to 15 months in jail in June 2021 for refusing to testify before a tribunal investigating claims of financial wrongdoing and cronyism during his reign.
His detention caused rioting, resulting in South Africa’s worst incident of violence since apartheid’s fall, with more than 350 people killed.
He spent only two months in prison before being freed for health grounds, following which Ramaphosa commuted the sentence.
