Former SA president Zuma allegedly expelled from ANC

Former South African president Jacob Zuma was expelled from the African National Congress (ANC), the party he led, after campaigning for a rival party in the May 29 general elections, according to local press.

The ANC’s disciplinary committee found him guilty of “damaging the integrity” of the party by joining uMkhonto we Sizwe (MK), and gave him three weeks to appeal its decision, according to local media citing a leaked ANC document. ANC.

The ANC has not officially confirmed his expulsion, while MK said Zuma was not notified of the decision taken by a “kangaroo court”.

Zuma, 82, was a veteran of the ANC but fell out with the party after he was forced to resign as president in 2018 due to corruption scandals. He has always denied any wrongdoing.

He was suspended by the ANC in January, following the creation of the MK, which now stands in opposition to the ANC-led government in parliament.

In a statement, MK said it was shocked to learn from media reports that Zuma had been expelled.

Disciplinary proceedings were conducted “in a manner similar to a kangaroo court”, the party said.

“It is a fundamental legal principle that no person, not even those accused of a serious crime, should be punished or sentenced in their absence,” he added.

The ANC disciplinary committee held a virtual hearing, which Zuma refused to attend, saying he wanted to be physically present.

In 2021 he was arrested for contempt of court after refusing to fully cooperate with a corruption inquiry during his nine-year presidency.

His arrest triggered the deadliest riots since the end of white minority rule in 1994 and led to the deaths of more than 300 people.

And he now faces corruption charges about a 1999 arms deal.

South Africa’s current president, Cyril Ramaphosa, replaced Zuma in 2018, promising to clean up the government.

But in the May 29 elections, the ANC suffered its worst result in 30 years, forcing the ruling party to form a coalition to share power.

uMkhonto we Sizwe – which means “spear of the nation” – has become the country’s third-largest party, largely thanks to the ANC’s vote-getting.

He won almost 15% of the vote and obtained 58 seats in the 400-member parliament.

MK became the official opposition in parliament after the second largest party, the Democratic Alliance (DA), joined the coalition government.

Zuma is barred from being an MP because he was sentenced to 15 months in prison for contempt of court.

He chose a former judge, who was impeached for serious misconduct, to lead MK in parliament.

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