The vote is expected to be the most competitive since the
1994 advent of democracy in South Africa, and Zuma's presence in the campaign
could prove a key factor.
The commission said in a statement that it had lodged an
"urgent and direct" appeal to the Constitutional Court to provide
"certainty".
It is the latest twist in legal wrangling over the
eligibility of the 82-year-old, who celebrated his birthday Friday and is
fronting uMkhonto we Sizwe (MK), a new opposition party that has become a
potential disruptor in the May 29 ballot.
In a surprise verdict on Tuesday, the electoral court ruled
that Zuma could stand, overturning a decision by the electoral commission to
bar him over a contempt of court conviction.
The commission had excluded Zuma from the race at the end
of last month, saying the constitution barred anyone sentenced to more than 12
months' imprisonment.
Zuma was handed 15 months in jail in June 2021 after
refusing to testify to a panel investigating financial corruption and cronyism
during his presidency.
His lawyers argued the sentence did not disqualify him as
it followed civil rather than criminal proceedings, and had been shortened by a
remission.
Zuma was freed on medical parole just two months into his
jail term.
The electoral commission said Friday that there was
"substantial public interest in providing certainty on the proper
interpretation" of the constitutional article relating to election
candidates who have been convicted.
"Such clarity is important in the present matter
because of a live issue but also for future elections," it said.
The commission did not intend the appeal "to involve itself in the political field of play".
"It is rather to ensure free and fair elections by
ensuring that applicable constitutional provisions relating to elections are
clearly understood by all role-players and applied evenly," it said.
"The MK Party will be elated by this," political
commentator Sizwe Mpofu-Walsh wrote on X.
If the court hears the appeal, "It will hand MK a
prime opportunity to mobilise on the eve of the election. It will keep MK in
the headlines and further unite the party around a narrative of persecution --
a narrative fmr pres Zuma thrives on," he said.
AFP was unable to reach the MK party for comment.
Banking on his popularity, MK is expected to cut into the
vote share of the embattled African National Congress (ANC) -- the governing
party and Zuma's former political home.
This could see the ANC vote share drop below 50 percent for
the first time since 1994.
Short of a parliamentary majority, the party would be
forced to seek coalition partners to remain in power.
The ANC is struggling in opinion polls amid a weak economy
and allegations of corruption and mismanagement. AFP
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