Jacob Zuma - The African Mirror

Nov

2020

I am not a friend of ex-president Jacob Zuma – Deputy Judge President

AFRICAN MIRROR REPORTER SOUTH African Deputy Judge President has tabled a set of facts which seeks to prove that he is neither a friend of nor have family relations with ex-president Jacob Zuma, who has accused him of bias and sought his recusal from the state capture commission. In a statement read at the start of a special hearing to hear an application for his recusal, Zondo also poked holes in Zuma’s affidavit. Zuma, who deposed the affidavit last week, attended the proceedings, accompanied by his daughter. He has contended that he has a close and personal relationship with Zondo.…

Oct

2020

By The African Mirror

South African deputy judge president admits to link to Zuma’s wife, denies conflict

NEWS

AFRICAN MIRROR REPORTER SOUTH Africa’s deputy judge president, Raymond Zondo, who chairs the judicial commission into state capture, has admitted to a link to the former president Jacob Zuma’s estranged wife but denied that the association constituted conflict. Zondo disclosed today that he had a relationship with Thobeka Madiba’s sister in the 90s and that the relationship ended before Zuma married Madiba. He was responding to a contention from Zuma, via his lawyers, that the relationship was the source of a conflict. In their letter, Zuma’s attorneys called for the recusal of Zondo, accused him of bias against the former…

Oct

2020

By The African Mirror

Zuma’s attack on a judge is without merit, but it’s dangerous for South Africa

THOUGHT LEADERSHIP

CATHLEEN POWELL, Associate Professor in Public Law, University of Cape Town “POST-TRUTH” culture is exemplified by the constant negation of fact-finding, expertise and research. Within such a culture, speakers, whether they occupy positions of power or are commenting anonymously on social media, become increasingly comfortable with claiming that reality is whatever they say it is. This, without any need to offer evidence which can be evaluated against objective criteria through reasoned argument. Former South African president Jacob Zuma adopted this approach when he recently demanded that Deputy Chief Justice Ray Zondo, the head of the state capture inquiry investigating grand…

Oct

2020

By The African Mirror

S.Africa corruption inquiry to summon Zuma to appear next month

NEWS

ALEXANDER WINNING A South African corruption inquiry will issue a summons for former president Jacob Zuma to appear to give evidence next month, the judge chairing the proceedings had decided. Deputy Chief Justice Raymond Zondo said Zuma would be required to appear on November 16-20, adding that this could be via videolink if appropriate arrangements were made. "The secretary of the commission is hereby authorised and directed to sign and issue a summons ... requiring Mr Jacob Gedleyihlekisa Zuma, former president of the Republic of South Africa, to appear," Zondo said. The inquiry was set up more than two years…

Oct

2020

By The African Mirror

South Africa Hawks police not aware of imminent arrest of ANC’s Magashule

NEWS

SOUTH African elite police unit Hawks said it was not aware of any arrest warrant for African National Congress (ANC) Secretary-General Ace Magashule, following media reports his arrest was imminent. "The Hawks would like to categorically distance itself from the IOL (media) report regarding the so-called impending arrest against Mr Ace Magashule," Hawks spokesman Hangwani Mulaudzi said in a statement on WhatsApp shortly before midnight Tuesday. The Hawks "view the report as a malicious intent to undermine the integrity of the organization". The Independent Media, citing sources, reported that Magashule will be arrested and charged over an alleged role in…

Sep

2020

By The African Mirror

Commission probing state capture adopts hardline stance against ex-president Zuma

NEWS

AFRICAN MIRROR REPORTER A special judicial commission set up to investigate allegations of fraud, corruption and the capture of the state by corrupt individuals, civil servants and politicians is taking steps to force former South African President Jacob Zuma to appear before it. Deputy Judge President Raymond Zondo, head of the Zondo Commission of Inquiry, disclosed today, the day that Zuma was scheduled to appear, that he will hear an application from the commission's legal team to issue summonses against Zuma. This comes after Zuma wrote to the commission and said he would not be able to appear because of…

Sep

2020

By The African Mirror

South Africa’s ANC decides officials charged with graft must step aside

NEWS

SOUTH Africa’s governing party executive decided at a weekend meeting that party officials formally charged with corruption and other serious crimes must step aside from their posts, President Cyril Ramaphosa said on Monday. The African National Congress (ANC) has been buffeted in recent weeks by reports of graft during the coronavirus crisis, with state investigators probing irregularities in government tenders worth 5 billion rand ($297 million). Ramaphosa, who replaced scandal-plagued Jacob Zuma as ANC leader more than two and a half years ago, has staked his reputation on rooting out graft but has found it hard to make much progress…

Aug

2020

By The African Mirror

South Africa’s ex-leader Zuma, accused of graft, hits out at successor

NEWS

TIM COCKS SOUTH Africa's former president Jacob Zuma, facing trial for graft, lashed out at his successor Cyril Ramaphosa on Friday, accusing him of betraying the ruling African National Congress (ANC) with his stance against corruption. In an unprecedented attack, Zuma, whose decade in power was marked by multiple corruption scandals that are still being investigated, accused Ramaphosa of bringing the party into disrepute - a sign of growing divisions within the ANC ahead of its national executive committee conference this weekend. Zuma himself faces multiple investigations for corruption, including a trial relating to a $2 billion arms deal before…

Aug

2020

By The African Mirror

EXCLUSIVE – South Africa tries to recover over $23 million from SAP for ‘unlawful’ contracts

NEWS

ALEXANDER WINNING SOUTH African investigators are seeking to recover more than 400 million rand ($23 million) from German software firm SAP for two government contracts they allege were entered into unlawfully, court documents seen by Reuters show. Although the amount of money sought is small for a company with a market value of around 162 billion euros, the move by the authorities is another headache for SAP, which in 2018 admitted to misconduct over deals with South African state firms during former president Jacob Zuma's tenure. SAP, a major global business software company, had said it was reviewing all its…

Aug

2020

By The African Mirror

South African corruption watchdog probes COVID-19 tenders

NEWS

ALEXANDER WINNING SOUTH Africa's anti-corruption watchdog has announced it was investigating irregularities in coronavirus-related tenders, the latest in a series of scandals that trade unions said showed the government's failure to tackle graft. The probes by the Public Protector come soon after investigators launched separate inquiries into the procurement of personal protective equipment (PPE) in Gauteng province, the country's economic heartland. President Cyril Ramaphosa staked his reputation on tackling graft when he replaced Jacob Zuma as head of state more than two years ago, but he is on the back foot after news reports alleging that politically connected individuals have…