South Africa’s highest court, the Constitutional Court, has barred former President Jacob Zuma from returning to parliament as a member of the newly formed opposition party, uMkhonto weSizwe. The ruling came as a significant blow to the MK party supporters gathered outside the court in support of Zuma. Party Secretary General Sihle Ngubane urged calm among the supporters, assuring them that Zuma still led the party despite his disqualification from parliamentary election.

On Monday, the Constitutional Court ruled that Zuma was ineligible to serve as a member of parliament for five years due to his prior conviction and imprisonment for more than 12 months.

The court stated, “Section 47(1)(e) simply says convicted of an offence and sentenced to more than 12 months’ imprisonment without any fine. Mr. Zuma was convicted by this court of the crime of contempt of court.”

The judgment has polarized public opinion in South Africa, but many political analysts believe that the MK party and Zuma will still play a significant role in the upcoming general elections.

Zuma was the top candidate on the MK party’s national list, aiming to win a two-thirds majority in parliament to amend the Constitution.

The case was brought to the Constitutional Court by South Africa’s electoral board (IEC). Initially, a court had disqualified Zuma from running for a parliamentary seat, but a subsequent court overturned the decision, stating that the relevant constitutional section applied only to those who had appealed their sentences, which was not the case with Zuma.