Former South African President Jacob Zuma has been expelled from the African National Congress (ANC), the party he once led, after campaigning for a rival party, uMkhonto we Sizwe (MK), in the May 29 general election, according to local media reports.
The ANC’s disciplinary committee found Zuma guilty of “prejudicing the integrity” of the party by his involvement with MK. He has three weeks to appeal the decision, although the ANC has not officially confirmed his expulsion.
MK, which now sits in opposition to the ANC-led government, expressed shock at the reports and criticized the disciplinary process as a “kangaroo court.” They claimed Zuma was not notified of the expulsion, which was decided at a virtual hearing he refused to attend, preferring to be physically present.
Zuma, 82, who led the ANC before being forced to resign as president in 2018 over corruption allegations, denies any wrongdoing. In 2021, he was jailed for contempt of court related to an inquiry into corruption during his presidency, sparking significant unrest in South Africa.
Following the recent election, where the ANC saw its worst performance in 30 years, MK became the third-largest party in parliament, securing almost 15% of the vote and 58 seats. Zuma has claimed the election results were rigged and has called for their annulment. MK announced it would join an opposition alliance in parliament.