The electoral commission last week excluded the eighty one-year-old politician, who is campaigning for a new opposition party, over a 2021 contempt of court conviction.

But in court papers seen by newsmen, lawyers for Zuma and the party argued that the sentence did not disqualify him for it followed civil rather than criminal proceedings.

The papers said the electoral commission had no valid reasons to violate the political rights of President Zuma.

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.

The ruling African National Congress is struggling in the polls and risks losing its parliamentary majority for the first time since the end of apartheid, amid a weak economy and allegations of corruption and mismanagement.