The commission did not provide a specific reason for the disqualification, but it is widely speculated that Zuma’s 2021 conviction and subsequent imprisonment for contempt of court have rendered him ineligible for candidacy.
Zuma’s involvement with the newly formed uMkhonto we Sizwe (MK) party, which he backs, has been viewed as a potential challenge to the ruling African National Congress (ANC), of which he was previously a member until his suspension.