South Africa’s ruling African National Congress (ANC) party has summoned former president Jacob Zuma to appear before a disciplinary hearing following his declaration of support for a rival party in the upcoming general election.
Zuma, who served nine years in office until 2018 amidst corruption scandals, has been actively campaigning for the new uMkhonto we Sizwe (MK) party ahead of the elections scheduled for May 29.
According to reports from public broadcaster SABC citing an ANC document, the hearing is set for next Tuesday.
The document states, “Zuma may be represented by any member of the ANC in good standing at the hearing.”
He faces two counts: one for publicly endorsing the MK Party and another for registering as a candidate for the elections under the new party.
However, Zuma has not yet responded to the summons as of press time.
The ANC suspended his membership in January 2024, reflecting deep divisions within the party that has governed South Africa since the end of apartheid.
Opinion polls suggest that this year’s election could potentially see the ANC lose its parliamentary majority for the first time since 1994.
In December 2023, Zuma announced that he would not campaign for the ANC in the elections and would instead support a new party because he could not “lie to the people of South Africa.”
Despite his controversial tenure, Zuma still wields significant political influence and has recently attracted substantial media attention.
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