A former President of South Africa, Jacob Zuma, has been cleared to participate in the country's general election scheduled for May, following an electoral court’s decision to overturn the ban on his candidacy.

The ruling will also be a blow to the ANC, which after 30 years in power, might face a potentially bruising election.

Reports have it that for the first time since the start of the democratic era in 1994, the ANC’s vote share could fall below 50 per cent, several opinion polls predict.

The electoral commission of South Africa barred Zuma over a contempt of court conviction.

The commission, according to reports, argued the constitution prevented people from holding public office if convicted of a crime and sentenced to more than 12 months in prison.

Zuma, has been campaigning for the new uMkhonto we Sizwe (MK) party.

A former stalwart of the governing African National Congress, he is a controversial figure and served as president from 2009 until 2018, when he had to step down because of corruption allegations.

He was sentenced to 15 months in jail in 2021 for failing to testify in a corruption investigation, though he only served three months on health grounds.