After the big celebration at Umkhonto Wesizwe’s (MK) manifesto the past weekend at Orlando Stadium in Soweto, party members and their leader former president Jacob Zuma were ready to claim their sits in parliament.
It looks like the dream of seeing Msholozi in parliament will remain just a dream, well, for at least five years after his 15-months prison sentence has lapsed, which he received parole of, after serving three months in jail.
Msholozi was sentenced to 15 months in prison back in 2021. He started serving his sentence on July, 8th, 2021 and later released on medical parole, on the 5th of September, after serving three months behind bars.
The Supreme Court later ordered the former president to go back and finish his sentence towards the end of 2022. He only returned to prison on the 11th of August, 2023.
His return to prison was on the same day President Cyril Ramaphosa was granting offenders remission of sentence to those who had committed lighter crimes and those who had shown good behaviour, in order to decrease inmate numbers in the overcrowded prisons.
The Constitutional Court’s ruling that barres Msholozi from parliament for half a decade is centred around section 47 (1) of the Constitution which prohibits offenders who have been sentenced to 12 months or more from forming part of the National Assembly for at least five years after their sentence.
Msholozi’s full prison sentence will end in July 2026. It is this reason that automatically disqualifies him from standing as a member of parliament for Umkhonto Wesizwe.
WATCH: Con Court makes a ruling to dismiss Jacob Zuma’s MKP candidacy
Also see: Duduzile Zuma left emotional after Jacob Zuma filled Orlando Stadium to capacity
