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South Africa is to hold general elections on May 29 in what is expected to be the most competitive vote since the advent of democracy in 1994.
Jacob Zuma's ability to stand for office could prove a key factor.
A South African court recently allowed former president Jacob Zuma to run in May's general elections, overturning a decision by electoral authorities barring him over a previous conviction.
Jacob Zuma is fronting uMkhonto we Sizwe (MK), a new opposition party that has become a dark horse in the election race.
"The decision of the Electoral Commission... is set aside," the court wrote in its ruling seen by AFP.
It did not provide an explanation of how the verdict was reached.
Banking on his popularity, MK is expected to cut well into the vote share of the already embattled ruling African National Congress (ANC) – the ex-president's former political party.
This could lead the ANC towards its worst result in three decades, seeing it drop below 50 percent of the vote.
Short of a parliamentary majority, it would be forced to seek coalition partners to remain in power.
The African National Congress (ANC), the party that Mandela led to victory and which has ruled South Africa ever since, looks likely to fall below 50% of the vote for the first time. Voting for the ANC has been the default option for most Black South Africans for a generation. But almost all opinion polls show the ANC will lose its parliamentary majority. The party obtained 57.5% support in the last national election in 2019, which was its worst-ever performance
Facebook owner Meta has created an election resource center as part of its multi-faceted approach to support the integrity of the 2024 South African elections across its online platforms.
In a statement, the company says the online resource center provides government, political and non-profit partners with information on how to secure their accounts, and best reach and engage voters with authoritative information.
By Lewis Musonye
