April 07, 2018
Zuma, who made no comment in court, has tried for years to avoid prosecution in the case, which relates to a multibillion-dollar arms deal from the 1990s.
Fallen South African president Jacob Zuma makes appearance at corruption trial
JOHANNESBURG—Just weeks after falling from power, Jacob Zuma, South Africa’s former president, made a brief appearance in court Friday in a corruption case that emphasized the political upheaval that has recently swept the country.
A judge in the High Court in Durban adjourned the case, which is related to a multibillion-dollar arms deal from the 1990s, until June 8. Zuma, who made no comment in court, had tried for years to avoid prosecution in the case.
The brevity of his appearance did not detract from the powerful image of Zuma, a commanding figure just a few months ago, sitting as a defendant in court. Zuma was stripped of the presidency in February after losing a battle with his rival and eventual successor, President Cyril Ramaphosa.
On Friday, national prosecutors, as well as Zuma’s lawyers, asked for the postponement to prepare the case.
Starting a battle on another front, Zuma’s lawyers also said that they planned to challenge the decision of the national prosecutors to charge him in this case — a move that could indefinitely postpone the opening of the trial.
Last month, national prosecutors announced that corruption charges related to the arms deal would be reinstated against Zuma almost a decade after they were dropped.
After his court appearance, a pugnacious Zuma addressed thousands of supporters gathered near the courthouse. Flanked by religious leaders on a stage, Zuma, speaking only in the Zulu language, said he was being charged purely for political reasons.
He also talked about the struggle of Back people worldwide and said that he had been targeted because he championed their economic empowerment.
Zuma faces 16 charges in the arms case, including corruption, fraud, racketeering and money laundering. Lawyers representing Zuma, who used legal maneuverers and the power of the presidency to avoid prosecution, had hewed to a strategy of delaying his trial as long as possible — what analysts have called the “Stalingrad strategy.”
Ramaphosa has said that, according to a long-standing agreement between party leaders and Zuma, who will turn 76 next week, the state will pay for his legal fees because the case relates to actions taken when he was in government.
Ramaphosa has said that, under the agreement, Zuma will have to reimburse the state if he eventually loses the case. But the deal effectively gives Zuma unlimited access to legal representation and raises the possibility that his case will be tied up in the courts for years.
Opposition parties are suing to force Zuma to pay back his legal fees, and to block the government from paying future ones. The government says it has already spent $1.3 million (U.S.) on Zuma’s legal defence, though opposition parties say the real amount is several times more.
The dispute over the fees represents a larger problem for the governing party, the African National Congress, or ANC, which must determine how strongly to back Zuma during his corruption trial. Ramaphosa and his allies have made fighting corruption a priority before national elections scheduled for 2019.
But they cannot afford to completely jettison Zuma, who remains popular among many ANC followers, especially in his home province, KwaZulu-Natal. The former leader was recently deployed to KwaZulu-Natal, the province with the biggest number of ANC supporters, to drum up support during a voter-registration drive.
At the same time, national party leaders explicitly discouraged members from wearing party uniforms while showing support for Zuma in his court appearance — a directive that was roundly defied Friday. Supporters began gathering in Durban the night before, carrying ANC flags and wearing party clothing.
Groups representing churches, women and youth were among the thousands of backers. Some held posters stating “100 per cent behind Zuma.”
On Friday morning, Zuma and his supporters said prayers outside the court before he entered the building, flashing a thumbs-up gesture. At a recent church appearance, Zuma said: “People are free, but I am not. They are still after me.”
To his supporters, it was clear that “they” meant his political enemies. Zuma’s backers have long argued that, while other ANC officials implicated in the arms deal were never charged, Zuma was singled out for political reasons.
Zuma was initially charged in 2007 while his greatest political rival, Thabo Mbeki, was president — charges that nearly derailed his ambitions to succeed Mbeki.
His supporters say he is again being singled out after losing a power struggle to Ramaphosa. The arms deal totalled 30 billion rand, or $2.5 billion at current exchange rates, and led to what is considered the single biggest instance of public corruption in the history of post-apartheid South Africa.
The purchase of naval vessels, submarines, fighter jets and other equipment from European nations — made by the government of Nelson Mandela in the mid-to-late 1990s — was meant to modernize the South African military.
Zuma was the leader of the ANC and the nation’s deputy president when the arms deal was finalized in 1999. The chief prosecutor dropped the charges against him in 2009 after accusing his own officials of political interference.
That successfully resurrected Zuma’s bid to become president. But the main opposition party, the Democratic Alliance, challenged the decision to set aside the charges, and in 2016, it was judged “irrational” by the High Court — a ruling that the Supreme Court upheld last year.
Latest News
Top news around the world
Academy Awards

‘Oppenheimer’ Reigns at Oscars With Seven Wins, Including Best Picture and Director

Get the latest news about the 2024 Oscars, including nominations, winners, predictions and red carpet fashion at 96th Academy Awards

Around the World

Politic
Mary Trump 'energized' as uncle 'Donald's campaign spirals into chaos'
Mar 29, 2024
Donald Trump's campaign is in chaos, and his niece says she's energized.Mary Trump, the niece of the former president and a psychologist by trade, has previously been critical of her uncle.On Thursday, she said her uncle's failures are adding up.ALSO READ: A neuroscientist reveals how Trump and Biden's cognitive impairments are different"As the RNC’s fundraising falters and Donald’s campaign spirals into chaos, I am energized!" she said in a Substack post.She then continued:"When Donald dominates the news cycle, it’s hard not to feel overwhelmed. Every bad headline has a negative impact. But then I remember something crucial: There’s usually more to the story than meets the eye. I’m determined to cut through the media noise and share with you all the good that happened this week. These are the headlines we need to remain energized and hopeful that the media largely ignored."Mary Trump goes on to highlight President Joe Biden's recent fundraising hauls."President Biden’s $155 million+ war chest has just received another turbo boost, bringing the total of cash on hand to at least $180 million. (By comparison, between his campaign and the RNC, Donald barely has over $50 million — and continues to drain the accounts to cover his absolutely staggering legal expenses)," she wrote. "This is a development that could significantly increase Biden’s ability to influence the narrative in crucial swing states."This, she says, also tells us a lot about voter excitement for Biden."While critics have expressed doubts about the degree to which the Democratic base is fired up as compared to 2020, today’s $25 million fundraiser, raised with donations ranging from $250 to $500,000, should put any doubts to rest — yes, we are absolutely behind President Biden and Vice President Harris and we’re in this fight until the end," she wrote.Read the full post here.
READ MORE
Celebrity News

> Latest News in Media

Watch It
Ruby Franke’s Husband REVEALS Alleged Rules He Had to Follow at Home | E! News
March 28, 2024
_mU-3lE2QwI
#KenanThompson speaks out following the #QuietonSet documentary. (🎥: Tamron Hall Show) #shorts
March 28, 2024
8AGP-Gfw_Ek
King Charles Shares "Great Sadness" at Missing Royal Appearance | E! News
March 28, 2024
lyizFqf1kQY
Martha Reeves Walk of Fame Ceremony
March 27, 2024
QzyezumEPtQ
Eminem, 50 Cent & Snoop Dogg Present Dr. Dre with a Star on the Walk of Fame
March 19, 2024
4bNLs1hxVp8
Opening Remarks for the Variety Summit October 20th, 2023 Jay Penske
March 18, 2024
c6Z707iLq8E
Montell Jordan Dishes On Young MC Wedding, 'This Is How Date Night' Plans | TMZ
March 28, 2024
G3SMExj-qio
Davina Potratz Says TV Not Helping 'Selling Sunset' Relationship Woes | TMZ
March 28, 2024
D4piy4GNm4k
Logan Paul Rips Graham Bensinger Over Documentary, You Promised Apple TV+ | TMZ Live
March 28, 2024
NiSDpZhZklQ
Prince William pinned royal medal to Spice Girl Mel B’s boobs #shorts
March 28, 2024
O1cQ0UW9pco
Jennifer Garner shares ‘hard’ part of raising her and Ben Affleck’s kids
March 28, 2024
3Q7mZaVUdgc
50 Cent's ex Daphne Joy named as an alleged sex worker in Sean ‘Diddy’ Combs lawsuit #shorts
March 28, 2024
yhLFI8DG9rM
TV Schedule
Late Night Show
Watch the latest shows of U.S. top comedians

Sports

Latest sport results, news, videos, interviews and comments
Latest Events
28
Mar
CHAMPIONS LEAGUE: Playoffs - Women
PSG W - Hacken W
28
Mar
CHAMPIONS LEAGUE: Playoffs - Women
Barcelona W - SK Brann W
27
Mar
CHAMPIONS LEAGUE: Playoffs - Women
Chelsea W - Ajax W
27
Mar
CHAMPIONS LEAGUE: Playoffs - Women
Lyon W - SL Benfica W
17
Mar
SPAIN: La Liga
Atletico Madrid - Barcelona
17
Mar
ENGLAND: FA Cup
Manchester United - Liverpool
17
Mar
ITALY: Serie A
Inter Milan - Napoli
17
Mar
GERMANY: Bundesliga
Borussia Dortmund - Eintracht Frankfurt
17
Mar
ENGLAND: FA Cup
Chelsea - Leicester City
17
Mar
ITALY: Serie A
Roma - Sassuolo
17
Mar
ITALY: Serie A
Verona - AC Milan
17
Mar
ITALY: Serie A
Juventus - Genoa
16
Mar
GERMANY: Bundesliga
Darmstadt - Bayern Munich
16
Mar
ENGLAND: FA Cup
Manchester City - Newcastle United
16
Mar
ENGLAND: Premier League
Fulham - Tottenham Hotspur
16
Mar
SPAIN: La Liga
Osasuna - Real Madrid
13
Mar
CHAMPIONS LEAGUE: 1/8 Final
Atletico Madrid - Inter Milan
12
Mar
CHAMPIONS LEAGUE: 1/8 Final
Barcelona - Napoli
12
Mar
CHAMPIONS LEAGUE: 1/8 Final
Arsenal - Porto
Find us on Instagram
at @feedimo to stay up to date with the latest.
Featured Video You Might Like
zWJ3MxW_HWA L1eLanNeZKg i1XRgbyUtOo -g9Qziqbif8 0vmRhiLHE2U JFCZUoa6MYE UfN5PCF5EUo 2PV55f3-UAg W3y9zuI_F64 -7qCxIccihU pQ9gcOoH9R8 g5MRDEXRk4k
Copyright © 2020 Feedimo. All Rights Reserved.