On Tuesday, 9 April 2024, the electoral court set aside the IEC’s decision to bar former president Jacob Zuma from running for a parliamentary seat. The IEC had disqualified Zuma due to his criminal record, including a 15-month jail term in 2021. UMkhonto weSizwe Party appealed against the IEC’s decision. The electoral court granted leave to appeal and set aside the IEC ruling.  This decisive turn of events paves the way for him to contest a seat in the National…

Former South African President Jacob Zuma has been cleared to run as a candidate and appear on the ballot for his party, uMkhonto We Sizwe (MKP), in the upcoming general elections.  The Electoral Court in Johannesburg has upheld his appeal and set aside the Independent Electoral Commission of South Africa’s (IEC) decision to disqualify his candidacy due to his previous contempt of court conviction.  The ruling paves the way for Zuma to go to Parliament. It marks a dramatic political…

The ANC’s National Executive Committee (NEC) has suspended its former president, Jacob Zuma, amid a fallout over his decision to campaign for the newly formed political party, Umkhonto Wesizwe (MK). The MK has been steadily gaining popularity since its launch on December 16, 2023, where Zuma said he would not campaign or vote for “the ANC of [President Cyril] Ramaphosa”. The NEC announced its decision after its three-day ordinary meeting in Boksburg, Gauteng, over the weekend — a move which…

Ambitions for political office do not drive former President Jacob Zuma, but the strategic toppling of ANC leaders he believes sent him to jail without trial, said insiders.  According to sources close to Zuma, the former ANC leader’s decision to vote for the newly formed party, Umkhonto weSizwe (MK), in the 2024 general elections, and distance himself from “the ANC of Ramaphosa”, is part of a broader strategy to weaken and eventually remove the current leadership, led by President Cyril…

The Jacob G Zuma Foundation has characterised former President Jacob Zuma’s recent release on remission as a strategic instrument to bolster President Cyril Ramaphosa’a’s chances of securing reelection in the upcoming year. Zuma was one of the first 32 individuals released from prison through the presidential special remission on Friday, as part of a nationwide initiative to alleviate overcrowding in correctional facilities. Over 1 500 of the 9 488 non-violent offenders granted remission were released into community correction this past…

The release of former President Jacob Zuma from prison, as part of a nationwide remission of non-violent offenders to ease the overcrowding of correctional facilities across the country, has been met with mixed reactions. While the Democratic Alliance (DA) has labelled President Cyril Ramaphosa a “spineless” leader who moved towards a political solution to save Zuma from another stay in prison, former Public Protector Professor Thuli Madonsela has given thumbs up to the executive decision. “I support the remission of…

FORMER South African president, Jacob Zuma, called for home-grown, Afro-centric solutions to the continent’s problems. He was speaking in Victoria Falls, Zimbabwe, where he was a special guest at the first-ever Africa Voluntary Carbon Credits Market Forum (AVCCMF). Zuma attended the event in his capacity as a board member of the Belarus-Africa Foreign Trade Association and patron of the JG Zuma Foundation. “This inaugural Africa Voluntary Carbon Credits Market Forum exhibits and provides inspiration for Afro-centric solutions for African problems…

Arising from my recent article, the question arose if I should not have addressed it to the ANC instead of the ANC Youth League (ANCYL). One comrade has cited the impact of factional divisions within the ANC on the ANCYL. He argues that this has had a very negative effect on the composition of ANCYL task teams, their mandate as well as their political and organisational focus. He is sceptical of the commitment of the ANC leadership towards unity and…

FORMER President Thabo Mbeki’s foundation has refused to comment on claims that his leaked letter to ANC Deputy President Paul Mashatile has raised “good points” at the “wrong time” for all the “wrong reasons.” The criticism came at the height of Mbeki’s name having once again taken centre stage on matters concerning incumbent ANC President Cyril Ramaphosa. This time the former statesman has received praise for the leaked letter that he addressed to Mashatile and copied the rest of the…