South Africa’s former President, Jacob Zuma, has been expelled from the African National Congress, the party he once led, due to his support for a rival party in the recent general election.
The ANC’s disciplinary committee found Zuma guilty of “prejudicing the integrity” of the party by joining uMkhonto we Sizwe , a rival party that now opposes the ANC-led government in parliament.
MK expressed shock at learning about Zuma’s expulsion through media reports, criticizing the disciplinary process as a “kangaroo court.” They stated, “It is a foundational legal principle that no person, not even those accused of a serious crime, should be punished or sentenced in their absence.”
The ANC’s disciplinary committee conducted a virtual hearing, which Zuma refused to attend, insisting on being present in person. The committee has given him three weeks to appeal the decision.
Zuma, 82, was a long-time ANC member but fell out with the party after resigning as president in 2018 due to corruption scandals, which he has always denied.
In 2021, Zuma was jailed for contempt of court after refusing to cooperate with an investigation into corruption during his presidency. His arrest led to severe riots, resulting in over 300 deaths. He also faces corruption charges related to a 1999 arms deal.
Current President Cyril Ramaphosa replaced Zuma in 2018, vowing to clean up the government. However, in the recent elections, the ANC suffered its worst result in 30 years, forcing it to form a coalition government.
uMkhonto we Sizwe, meaning “spear of the nation,” became South Africa’s third-largest party, winning nearly 15% of the vote and 58 seats in parliament. MK is now the official opposition after the Democratic Alliance joined the coalition government.
Zuma, barred from being an MP due to his 15-month prison sentence, has appointed a former judge, impeached for misconduct, to lead MK in parliament.