The disciplinary committee of South Africa's ruling ANC has reportedly decided to expel former president Jacob Zuma for leading a rival group into the May elections, according to several media outlets citing a leaked document. This decision, which has not been officially announced, was made following disciplinary proceedings initiated against the still-popular ex-leader earlier this month.
The leaked document, also seen by AFP and dated July 29, states, "The charged member is expelled from the ANC." It further notes that "The charged member has the right to appeal to the National Disciplinary Committee of appeal within 21 days." The African National Congress suspended Zuma in January, shortly after he endorsed the newly formed uMkhonto weSizwe (MK), which affected the ANC's vote share in the May 29 elections, securing third place with 14.5 percent.
Zuma now leads the MK, which has 58 lawmakers in the 400-seat National Assembly. The ANC's performance in the May vote was its weakest since coming to power three decades ago, managing only 40 percent. If Zuma's expulsion is not successfully appealed, his ANC membership could be terminated, as reported by several media outlets. Zuma joined the ANC through its youth league in 1959 and was elected South African president in 2009, but was forced to resign in 2018 due to corruption allegations.
Despite being sentenced to 15 months in jail in June 2021 for refusing to testify in a corruption investigation, Zuma's imprisonment led to riots that marked South Africa's worst violence since the end of apartheid, resulting in over 350 deaths. He served only two months before being released on health grounds, with his sentence later commuted by President Cyril Ramaphosa.
A 2022 report concluded that Zuma played a significant role in state corruption during his nine-year presidency.
