South Africa’s former President Jacob Zuma has been expelled from the African National Congress (ANC), the party he once led, for campaigning for a rival party in the 29 May general election, according to local media reports. The ANC’s disciplinary committee found him guilty of “prejudicing the integrity” of the party by joining uMkhonto we Sizwe (MK) and has given him three weeks to appeal the ruling, as per a leaked ANC document.
The ANC has not officially confirmed Zuma’s expulsion, while MK stated that Zuma had not been notified of the decision, which they termed a “kangaroo court” ruling. Zuma, 82, a veteran of the ANC, fell out with the party after being forced to resign as president in 2018 over corruption scandals, which he has consistently denied.
In January, the ANC suspended Zuma after he created MK, now an opposition party in parliament. MK expressed shock at learning of Zuma’s expulsion through media reports, criticizing the disciplinary proceedings as unfair and conducted “in a manner akin to a kangaroo court.” They emphasized the legal principle that no one should be punished in their absence, noting Zuma’s refusal to attend the virtual hearing as he wanted to be physically present.
In 2021, Zuma was jailed for contempt of court for refusing to fully cooperate with an inquiry into corruption during his nine-year presidency. His arrest led to deadly riots, resulting in over 300 deaths. Zuma now faces corruption charges related to a 1999 arms deal.
South Africa’s current president, Cyril Ramaphosa, who succeeded Zuma in 2018 with a promise to clean up the government, saw the ANC suffer its worst election result in 30 years on 29 May, forcing the party to form a coalition to maintain power. MK, meaning “spear of the nation,” became the country’s third-largest party, securing almost 15% of the vote and 58 seats in the 400-member parliament. Zuma insists the election results were rigged and has demanded that the election be annulled.
