Jacob Zuma

Jacob Zuma is a former President of South Africa (2009-2018) and leader of the uMkhonto weSizwe Party (MKP), which he founded ahead of the 2024 general election after being expelled from the African National Congress. His nine-year presidency is widely associated with state capture, corruption and mismanagement that weakened institutions including the South African Revenue Service and Transnet, with the Zondo Commission estimating losses of between R500-billion and R1.5-trillion to the state. He continues to face long-running legal proceedings, including a decades-old arms deal corruption case marked by repeated procedural challenges. As MKP leader, Zuma remains a significant political force, drawing support that eroded the ANC's majority in 2024 and posing a continuing challenge to the reform agenda pursued by his successor, President Cyril Ramaphosa. He has issued controversial internal party decrees, including expulsions later overturned by the courts, and his health and foreign travel, including a private visit to India where he was seen alongside fugitive businessman Ajay Gupta, have drawn public and diplomatic scrutiny. Zuma contested the November 2026 municipal elections as MKP leader despite hospitalisation shortly beforehand. Analysts and commentators continue to characterise his presidency as driven by personal interest rather than ideological vision, with lasting effects on South Africa's economy, public institutions and political landscape.