You don’t have to go to parliament, you can Zoom − Duduzile Zuma-Sambudla on ConCourt ruling

Jacob Zuma’s daughter Duduzile Zuma-Sambudla has responded to the Constitutional Court (ConCourt) ruling that her father is not eligible for Parliament, by saying he can simply “Zoom”.

Delivering judgment in an appeal by the Electoral Commission of South Africa (IEC) on Monday, the apex court said the former president can’t stand for election to the National Assembly until five years had passed since the completion of his 15-month contempt of court sentence.

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Reacting to the ruling, Zuma-Sambudla urged uMkhonto weSizwe (MK) party supporters to vote for it in next week’s elections. She said a two-thirds majority victory would allow the party to “discard of the Roman-Dutch law and implement African law.

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“We will make you president of the country and you don’t have to go to Parliament, you can Zoom…” she added.

Watch MK party spokesperson Nhlamulo Ndhlela speaking on plans to bring the former president back to power:

[WATCH] "We are gunning for a two-thirds majority to change this constitution to ensure that we bring president Jacob Zuma into power." – MK party spokesperson Nhlamulo Ndhlela in conversation with @XoliMngambi after the Constitutional Court ruling. #Newzroom405 pic.twitter.com/4HFKOXddnZ

— Newzroom Afrika (@Newzroom405) May 20, 2024

Zuma’s face still on the ballot

The IEC confirmed that with a week to go to elections, Zuma’s face would remain on the ballot. However, the ConCourt‘s ruling meant he would be removed from the MK party’s parliamentary list.

“To avoid confusion, the commission reiterates that the judgment will not affect the ballot papers for the 2024 [elections] in any way.

“The photograph of Mr Jacob Zuma will remain in the cluster of identifiers of uMkhonto weSizwe Party. The name of Mr Jacob Zuma will, however, be removed from the list of candidates nominated by the MK party,” the IEC concluded.

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Zuma-Sambudla said getting her father on the ballot was the party’s “biggest battle”. She called for renewed “high discipline” and “high morale”.

MK party’s way forward

Secretary-general Sihle Ngubane said the party’s leadership would meet with Zuma to discuss how to proceed.

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“When we leave here, we will go and have a meeting as an executive. President Zuma will lead us on what to do from here onwards. He is still the leader of the party, he is in charge of MK party.

“The people of South Africa must relax, every direction that Zuma will give us, we will follow. He leads this party, he commands this party… he will be on the ballot,” he said.