Former South African President Jacob Zuma is free to run in the general elections scheduled for next May, after an electoral court overturned the ban imposed on his candidacy.
Last month, the Electoral Commission banned him from participating because he was found guilty of violating a court ruling.
She said the constitution bars people from holding public office if they are convicted of a crime and sentenced to more than 12 months in prison.
Zuma, 81, is campaigning for the new Umkhonto we Sizwe (MK) party.
A former member of the ruling African National Congress, he is a controversial figure and served as president from 2009 until 2018, when he was forced to step down due to corruption allegations.
He was sentenced to 15 months in prison in 2021 for failing to testify in a corruption investigation, although he only served three months for health reasons.
The ruling could have a major impact on the outcome of the elections scheduled for next month.
Zuma is the face of the newly formed opposition party MK, named after the former military wing of the ANC.
The former president considers himself the true inheritor of the revolutionary roots of the African National Congress, which was once led by Nelson Mandela.
Zuma’s victory in court means he can now run as a leading candidate for MK.
Instead of voting directly for the president, South African citizens elect members of the National Assembly. The head of any party that can muster a majority is likely to become the country’s leader, although he or she may field another candidate.
The ruling will also be a blow to the ANC, which faces a potentially bruising election after 30 years in power.
For the first time since the beginning of the democratic era in 1994, the ANC’s vote share may fall below 50%, several opinion polls predict.
The KP is seen as very popular in Zuma’s home region of KwaZulu-Natal. BBC
