Zuma Archives - The African Mirror

Sep

21

2021

South Africa sliding towards a “constitutional dictatorship”, warns ex-president Zuma

NEWS

AFRICAN MIRROR REPORTER JACOB Zuma, the former South African president, has again attacked the country’s courts, warning that SA was heading towards a “constitutional dictatorship”. In a statement issued days after the Constitutional Court, the country’s highest court, dismissed his application to have his 15 month sentence set aside, Zuma repeated his attack on the judiciary, including his belief that the courts were out to get him In a majority judgment, the Constitutional Court rejected Zuma’s rescission application, describing it , among others, as “litigious skullduggery”. Zuma intends to take his case to the African Court on Human and People’s…

Sep

09

2021

By The African Mirror

South African court pushes back Zuma corruption hearing to Sept 21, 22

NEWS

A South African court pushed back to September 21 and 22 a hearing scheduled for Thursday in a corruption trial of former president Jacob Zuma linked to a 1990s arms deal. The 12-day postponement was agreed between Zuma's lawyers and prosecutors and granted by Judge Piet Koen at the Pietermaritzburg High Court. It is the latest in a series of delays in the long-running case, in which 79-year-old Zuma faces multiple charges including corruption, racketeering and money laundering over the weapons contract over which he allegedly received kickbacks. Zuma was jailed for 15 months in July for defying a constitutional…

Jul

06

2021

By The African Mirror

ANC slams Zuma supporters

NEWS

AFRICAN MIRROR REPORTER SOUTH African governing party, the ANC, has come out strongly against the conduct of supporters of former president Jacob Zuma, who gathered in big numbers to protest against the 15-month sentence imposed by the Constitutional Court. The national executive committee (NEC) of the ANC met yesterday to consider developments that took place outside Zuma’s home in Nkandla. In a strongly-worded statement, the NEC said any attempts to respond to legal and judicial matters through threats and acts of violence were abhorrent and would not be tolerated. The NEC said it must always be clear that the interests…

May

26

2021

By The African Mirror

Zuma pleads not guilty to fraud, graft charges

NEWS

AFRICAN MIRROR REPORTER FORMER president Jacob Zuma has pleaded not guilty to 18 charges which include fraud, corruption, racketeering in connection with the multi-billion arms deal. Zuma, appearing alongside Thales, the French arms manufacturer, told Judge Piet Koen that he understands all the charges and said: “I plead not guilty.” Zuma's plea came after leading state prosecutor Advocate Billy Downer laid out, to the court, the case against the former president. The first charge is that Zuma participated in a criminal enterprise between 1995 and 2001. Downer said the 2nd charge against Zuma was that between 1995 and 2005 he…

Feb

24

2021

By The African Mirror

Zuma corruption trial set to start on May 17

NEWS

A corruption case against former South African President Jacob Zuma and French company Thales related to a $2 billion arms deal will begin on May 17, the Maritzburg High Court ruled today. Zuma stands accused of rampant corruption during his tenure as deputy president from 1999 and later as president from 2009 to 2018, although he denies any wrongdoing. The arms deal allegations relate to his time as deputy president and he is being tried on 16 charges of racketeering, fraud, corruption and money laundering in connection with French defence firm Thales. Zuma is accused of accepting 500,000 rand ($34,000)…

Jan

28

2021

By The African Mirror

Zuma forced to appear before commission

NEWS

AFRICAN MIRROR REPORTER THE highest court in South Africa has ruled that former president Jacob Zuma should appear, give evidence and answer questions at the Zondo Commission into state capture, fraud and corruption. The Constitutional Court not only ordered that Zuma must obey all summonses issued by the Zondo Commission, chaired by Deputy Chief Justice Raymond Zondo, but also slapped Zuma with the cost of the application. In a unanimous decision, the court said while Zuma does not have the right not to answer questions, he would be entitled to show to the commission why answering questions may incriminate him.…

Nov

23

2020

By The African Mirror

Zondo Commission to lay criminal charges against Zuma and summons him to appear again

NEWS

AFRICAN MIRROR REPORTER THE Zondo Commission is to lay criminal charges against former president Jacob Zuma after he defiantly left the hearing last week without the permission of the chairperson. Commission chairperson Deputy President Raymond Zondo announced today that charges would be laid by the commission secretariat and all the information and evidence would also be made available to the police and the National Prosecutions Authority. “It is quite important for the proper functioning of this commission that Mr Zuma’s conduct be dealt with in a manner in which our law provides it should be dealt with. This commission is…

Aug

31

2020

By The African Mirror

How corruption in South Africa is deeply rooted in the country’s past and why that matters

THOUGHT LEADERSHIP

STEVEN FRIEDMAN, Professor of Political Studies, University of Johannesburg WHEN South Africans express shock at corruption, few seem to know that it is perhaps the country’s oldest tradition. Citizen anger about corruption, a constant theme in South African political debate, reacts to a very real problem. This was underlined recently by news that well-connected people had enriched themselves at the expense of efforts to contain COVID-19. What is not real is the widespread belief that corruption is both new and easy to fix. Reactions to corruption portray it as a product of African National Congress (ANC) rule (or majority rule…