By C. Perera, JadeTimes News
Former South African President Jacob Zuma has reportedly been expelled from the African National Congress, the party he once led, for campaigning for a rival party in the May 29 general election. Local media report that the ANC's disciplinary committee found him guilty of "prejudicing the integrity" of the party by joining mkhonto we Sizwe and has given him three weeks to appeal the decision, according to a leaked ANC document.
The ANC has yet to officially confirm Zuma's expulsion, while MK claims he was not notified by what they describe as a "kangaroo court." Zuma, 82, a veteran of the ANC, was forced to resign as president in 2018 over corruption scandals, which he denies. He was suspended by the ANC in January after forming MK, which now sits in opposition to the ANC led government in parliament.
In a statement, MK expressed shock over media reports of Zuma's expulsion, criticizing the disciplinary proceedings as being conducted "in a manner akin to a kangaroo court." They emphasized that no person should be punished in their absence, noting that Zuma refused to attend a virtual hearing, insisting on being physically present.
Zuma was jailed in 2021 for contempt of court after not fully cooperating with a corruption inquiry into his presidency, leading to deadly riots. He currently faces charges over a 1999 arms deal. His political comeback has seen MK become the country’s third largest party, taking nearly 15% of the vote and 58 seats in parliament, while the ANC suffered its worst result in 30 years, forming a coalition government. Zuma is barred from being an MP due to a 15 month prison sentence for contempt of court, and has appointed an ex-judge, impeached for gross misconduct, to lead MK in parliament.
