On A continent where the “Big Men” rarely face their day in court, South Africa will break the trend by putting its recently deposed state and ruling party president, Jacob Zuma, in the dock.
South Africa and the world watched on television as National Director of Public Prosecutions (NDPP) Shaun Abrahams finally announced yesterday that Zuma will be charged with corruption yesterday over the R30-billion state arms deal.
Abrahams said he believes that they will succeed in the prosecution of the former president on 16 charges of racketeering‚ money laundering‚ fraud and corruption in relation to the multibillion-rand arms deal.
DA leader Mmusi Maimane popped champagne after the announcement yesterday that Zuma would get his day in court.
“Halala! We celebrate the day. It’s a good day for democracy‚” Maimane said as he opened a bottle of champagne outside the National Prosecuting Authority offices in Pretoria.
Cape Town mayor Patricia de Lille‚ who was one of the whistle-blowers‚ also expressed joy at the news‚ saying she was ready to testify against Zuma.
“I feel vindicated after so many years,” she said.
Yesterday‚ Abrahams announced that Zuma will soon have his day in court – a decade-and-a-half since the NPA began investigating the former president.
“After consideration of the matter‚ I am of the view that there are reasonable prospects of a successful prosecution of Mr Zuma on the charges listed in the indictment served on Mr Zuma‚” he said.
“I am of the view that a trial court would be the most appropriate forum for these issues to be ventilated and decided upon.”
Now that the decision is made‚ Abrahams said the director of public prosecutions in KwaZulu-Natal‚ Advocate Moipone Noko‚ wouldl facilitate when Zuma will appear in the KwaZulu-Natal High Court.
Zuma was told earlier yesterday of the decision to reinstate the charges first served on him in 2007.
From being fondly known in his presidential office as “Number One”, Zuma will, as part of the indictment‚ now become accused No1 while French company Thint will also face charges.
After the Supreme Court of Appeal ruled last October that the decision by former acting NDPP Moketedi Mpshe to withdraw charges against Zuma in 2009 was unlawful and irrational‚ Zuma asked to make new representations to the NPA on the matter.
Abrahams said Zuma’s representations made to him in January this year on the charges following a ruling by the Supreme Court of Appeal, were unsuccessful.
“Mr Zuma’s representations‚ broadly speaking‚ largely relate to allegations of a prosecution characterised by prosecutorial manipulation‚ impropriety‚ fair trial abuses‚ prosecutorial misconduct deliberate leaking of information to the media and irrational decisions made by various national directors and/or acting national directors‚ along with inexplicable delays for approximately 15 years in bringing his matter to trial‚” he said.
A team of five top prosecutors‚ led by Noko‚ would take charge of the prosecution against the former president.
In a statement, ANC secretary-general Ace Magashule said: “The ANC reaffirms its confidence in our country’s criminal justice system and our respect for the independence of the judiciary. We equally affirm our commitment to the constitutionally enshrined principle of equality of all before the law. Accordingly, we call on South Africans at large to afford the NPA space to conduct its work unhindered, we continue to assert the inalienable right of all in our country, including Comrade Jacob Zuma, to be presumed innocent until and if proven guilty.”
Mpshe‚ the former director of public prosecutions who decided to withdraw charges against Zuma in April 2009, said yesterday he was convinced his decision was correct at the time.
Speaking to Radio 702 shortly after the incumbent Abrahams made his announcement, Mpshe said he did not regret his decision.
Mpshe was fingered as the man who got it wrong‚ and was singled out by name during Abrahams’s announcement.
Zuma, who was forced to resign by the ANC last month, was at the centre of the deal to buy European weaponry that has cast a shadow over politics in Africa’s most industrialised economy for years.
Zuma will face 16 charges relating to 783 instances of alleged wrongdoing, NPA spokesman Luvuyo Mfaku said.
Then deputy president, Zuma was linked to the arms deal through Schabir Shaik, his former financial adviser who was jailed for corruption. The counts were filed but then dropped by the NPA shortly before Zuma successfully ran for president in 2009.
Since his election, his opponents fought a lengthy legal battle to have the charges reinstated. Zuma countered with his own legal challenges.
Zuma has also been implicated by South Africa’s anti-corruption watchdog in a 2016 report that alleges the Gupta family used links with him to win state contracts. The Guptas and Zuma have denied any wrongdoing. — Additional reportage by TimesLIVE
Number 1 to have his day in the dock
South Africa and the world watched on television as National Director of Public Prosecutions (NDPP) Shaun Abrahams finally announced yesterday that Zuma will be charged with corruption yesterday over the R30-billion state arms deal.
Abrahams said he believes that they will succeed in the prosecution of the former president on 16 charges of racketeering‚ money laundering‚ fraud and corruption in relation to the multibillion-rand arms deal.
DA leader Mmusi Maimane popped champagne after the announcement yesterday that Zuma would get his day in court.
“Halala! We celebrate the day. It’s a good day for democracy‚” Maimane said as he opened a bottle of champagne outside the National Prosecuting Authority offices in Pretoria.
Cape Town mayor Patricia de Lille‚ who was one of the whistle-blowers‚ also expressed joy at the news‚ saying she was ready to testify against Zuma.
“I feel vindicated after so many years,” she said.
Yesterday‚ Abrahams announced that Zuma will soon have his day in court – a decade-and-a-half since the NPA began investigating the former president.
“After consideration of the matter‚ I am of the view that there are reasonable prospects of a successful prosecution of Mr Zuma on the charges listed in the indictment served on Mr Zuma‚” he said.
“I am of the view that a trial court would be the most appropriate forum for these issues to be ventilated and decided upon.”
Now that the decision is made‚ Abrahams said the director of public prosecutions in KwaZulu-Natal‚ Advocate Moipone Noko‚ wouldl facilitate when Zuma will appear in the KwaZulu-Natal High Court.
Zuma was told earlier yesterday of the decision to reinstate the charges first served on him in 2007.
From being fondly known in his presidential office as “Number One”, Zuma will, as part of the indictment‚ now become accused No1 while French company Thint will also face charges.
After the Supreme Court of Appeal ruled last October that the decision by former acting NDPP Moketedi Mpshe to withdraw charges against Zuma in 2009 was unlawful and irrational‚ Zuma asked to make new representations to the NPA on the matter.
Abrahams said Zuma’s representations made to him in January this year on the charges following a ruling by the Supreme Court of Appeal, were unsuccessful.
“Mr Zuma’s representations‚ broadly speaking‚ largely relate to allegations of a prosecution characterised by prosecutorial manipulation‚ impropriety‚ fair trial abuses‚ prosecutorial misconduct deliberate leaking of information to the media and irrational decisions made by various national directors and/or acting national directors‚ along with inexplicable delays for approximately 15 years in bringing his matter to trial‚” he said.
A team of five top prosecutors‚ led by Noko‚ would take charge of the prosecution against the former president.
In a statement, ANC secretary-general Ace Magashule said: “The ANC reaffirms its confidence in our country’s criminal justice system and our respect for the independence of the judiciary. We equally affirm our commitment to the constitutionally enshrined principle of equality of all before the law. Accordingly, we call on South Africans at large to afford the NPA space to conduct its work unhindered, we continue to assert the inalienable right of all in our country, including Comrade Jacob Zuma, to be presumed innocent until and if proven guilty.”
Mpshe‚ the former director of public prosecutions who decided to withdraw charges against Zuma in April 2009, said yesterday he was convinced his decision was correct at the time.
Speaking to Radio 702 shortly after the incumbent Abrahams made his announcement, Mpshe said he did not regret his decision.
Mpshe was fingered as the man who got it wrong‚ and was singled out by name during Abrahams’s announcement.
Zuma, who was forced to resign by the ANC last month, was at the centre of the deal to buy European weaponry that has cast a shadow over politics in Africa’s most industrialised economy for years.
Zuma will face 16 charges relating to 783 instances of alleged wrongdoing, NPA spokesman Luvuyo Mfaku said.
Then deputy president, Zuma was linked to the arms deal through Schabir Shaik, his former financial adviser who was jailed for corruption. The counts were filed but then dropped by the NPA shortly before Zuma successfully ran for president in 2009.
Since his election, his opponents fought a lengthy legal battle to have the charges reinstated. Zuma countered with his own legal challenges.
Zuma has also been implicated by South Africa’s anti-corruption watchdog in a 2016 report that alleges the Gupta family used links with him to win state contracts. The Guptas and Zuma have denied any wrongdoing. — Additional reportage by TimesLIVE
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