Cape Town – The pardon issued to former president Jacob Zuma in August last year may serve as the basis for his legal team’s challenge against the Electoral Commission’s (IEC) decision to disqualify him from participating in next month’s elections, a political analyst says.
Zuma’s appeal against the IEC’s decision will be heard by the Electoral Court on Monday.
Despite being ranked first on the uMkhonto weSizwe (MK) party’s candidate list, Zuma was disqualified due to a contempt of court conviction and a 15-month sentence.
“President Zuma was sentenced to 15 months and he has concluded that less than five years since now. So from that same point of view, he was disqualified. But now there are arguments that say that President Ramaphosa announced a general release of prisoners in general at the same time as he pardoned people who were on parole.
“Any form of parole, that they will be able to conclude their sentence immediately. And on the basis of that, he enjoys a form of presidential immunity or presidential pardon; and for that reason, this determination by the Constitution does not apply to him anymore,” SABC, quoted political analyst Professor Dirk Kotzé as saying.
The MK party is engaged in another legal battle with the ANC regarding the utilisation of the uMkhonto weSizwe (MK) name and logo, The Citizen reported.
The court’s ruling contends that the use of the uMkhonto weSizwe name and logo may lead voters to believe there is a connection between the ANC and the MK party, the report said.
In response, the ANC has filed a claim at the High Court in Durban, seeking to assert ownership of the logo and name as its intellectual property.
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Compiled by Betha Madhomu
