France, May 20 -- Zuma, who was forced to quit as president in 2018, has fallen out with the governing African National Congress (ANC) and has been campaigning for a new party called uMkhonto we Sizwe (MK) named after the ANC's formed armed wing.

Opinion polls suggest the ANC's majority is at risk after 30 years in power, and MK represents a threat to it, especially in Zuma's home province of KwaZulu-Natal where he is popular.

The case before the constitutional court stems from a decision in March by South Africa's electoral commission to disqualify Zuma on the basis that the constitution prohibits anyone given a prison sentence of 12 months or longer from holding a parliamentary seat.

In 2021, Zuma was sentenced to 15 months in jail f...