South Africas former president Jacob Zuma is barred from running for parliament in this months election, the countrys top court ruled on Monday, a judgment that could influence the outcome and trigger unrest from Zumas supporters.

The constitutional court found Zumas 15-month jail sentence for contempt of court in 2021 disqualified him from standing in the May 29 election, as the constitution prohibits anyone given a prison sentence of 12 months or longer from holding a parliamentary seat.

It is declared that Mr. Zuma was convicted of an offence and sentenced to more than 12 months imprisonment, ¦ and is accordingly not eligible to be a member of, and not qualified to stand for election to, the National Assembly, its ruling said.

Zuma, who was forced to quit as president in 2018, has fallen out with the governing African National Congress (ANC) and has been campaigning for a new party called uMkhonto we Sizwe (MK) named after the ANCs formed armed wing. (Reuters)