Zuma served as President of South Africa for 10 years (Reuters)

Former South African President Jacob Zuma is putting everything he can into his campaign against his former party, the African National Congress, which led him to the presidency of the country in 2009. On Easter morning in Western sects, his daughter published a picture of him and accompanied it with the expression “Truly He is Risen,” which is an expression used by Christians around the world in Congratulations on Easter, as he - referring to her father - is “the Christ we know, the African Christ,” as she put it.

This religious use adds to a number of differences between Zuma and his former party. Throughout its life spanning more than a century, the party has not directly used the religious factor in its discourse, although the majority of its leaders and members have not deviated from religious practices as individuals for the most part.

The party has always presented itself as secular, but it practiced and implemented its secularism without arousing the ire of its popular base at first, and then later the electoral base after it came to power in the first democratic elections in the country with the fall of the apartheid regime in 1994.

Zuma supports the newly formed “Spear of the Nation” party to compete with his former party in the elections (Getty)

Religious metaphors

This religious analogy came in describing Zuma after he was involved in a traffic accident last Thursday, from which he emerged with his bodyguards, without any injury. But the incident did not pass without further targeting of the ANC.

For his part, Nlamulu Ndlela, spokesman for the Umkhonto we Sizwe (Spear of the Nation) party, quickly accused the ANC of involvement in the incident, describing it as a “deliberate attempt to assassinate President Zuma.” While the authorities confirmed that they arrested a drunk driver who caused the accident and referred him to justice.

The National Congress Party was slow to respond to Zuma, and on Easter morning, President Cyril Ramaphosa merely said that he had been “informed of the incident and that the former president and his security team were all fine.”

The heightened tension between the two parties comes at a time when South Africa is preparing for one of the most delicate electoral elections since the fall of the apartheid regime. Opinion polls indicate a possible decline in the number of seats that the National Congress Party may win below the 50% threshold. But all polls completely rule out a resounding loss for the ruling party.

Personal loss

On the verge of the upcoming elections, Zuma escalated his campaign against his former party, supported the newly formed Umkhonto we Sizwe party, and won a lawsuit allowing the party to run in the elections. But Zuma suffered a loss on a personal level. The Independent High Electoral Commission in South Africa excluded Zuma from running in the elections expected next May.

In an interview with Al Jazeera Net, academic and political researcher Ibrahim Fakir said that Zuma's attempts to return to political life fall within the framework of his attempts "to find a popular base from which he derives the ability to influence politically to protect himself and those close to him from legal prosecution."

In 2021, Zuma was sentenced to 15 months in prison on charges of contempt of court after he refused to appear before a judge in a case brought against him on corruption charges, and those charges are still pending judicial decision.

The court’s decision practically means depriving the man of running in the elections, which Fakir explains, saying that the constitution “stipulates that those who have been sentenced to sentences exceeding 12 months are not eligible to run.” He adds that Zuma - who served as president for 10 years - “is aware of the constitutional restrictions that hinder... Nominate him.”

Fakir believes that Zuma's insistence on appealing the decision stems from his "desire to undermine democratic institutions, the separation of powers, and the rule of law." He added that even if Zuma wins the appeal against the decision to deny him candidacy, that does not mean that he and his new party will be able to obtain a parliamentary majority that qualifies him to win the presidency, even with the expansion of party alliances.

The decision angered Zuma and his party, which accused the government and the Independent High Electoral Commission of intending to rig the elections. At this point, Zuma was attacked even by opponents of the current government and the NCP.

Criticism of Zuma and his party's statements continued, even from opponents of the National Congress Party. Opposition activist Ibrahim Harvey went on to say that Zuma's suggestion of his return to the presidency "is not possible and is not supported by numbers." He added that the new party, driven by the popularity of the former president, could win seats in the state of KwaZulu-Natal, Zuma's birthplace. And between 5% and 10% of the votes of the rest of the states, which are percentages that do not qualify him to win.

Fund accounts

Last March, an opinion poll conducted by Mark Data on voter attitudes showed that the African National Congress received 41% of the votes of participants, compared to 11% for the Umkhonto we Sizwe party.

But these statistics, although unofficial, do not seem convincing to Zuma's new party. He insists on presenting him as an official presidential candidate. According to the electoral law, the president is not elected directly by the people, but by the National Assembly (Parliament).

As for the members of the National Assembly, they are elected according to party lists and by direct ballot, and each party receives a number of representatives according to the percentage of votes it obtains.

Between the decision to exclude Zuma and the party’s insistence on leveling accusations of bias - especially with the Independent High Electoral Commission - the head of the commission, Mosutu Mubya, came out to reiterate that the commission made its decision in line with the provisions of the constitution, and that the decision “was not easy, especially since the person concerned with the decision is the former president.” But he added, “The committee did not face any technical difficulty in making the decision, as the articles of the constitution are clear and unambiguous,” as he put it.

The "Spear of the Nation" party is moving to appeal the committee's decision within a maximum period of April 2, according to the laws in the country. At a time when some figures began calling on law enforcement agencies to "investigate statements made by figures in Zuma's party."

Mos Ntella, from the Alliance for Defending Democracy, which is close to the government, said, “South Africa has been committed to holding free elections since 1994.” He added, “We must work to ensure that entitlement remains free, and law enforcement agencies must act against those who threaten this freedom.” According to his expression.

Source: Al Jazeera