Former deputy president Jacob Zuma will appear in court on two corruption charges next Wednesday, the National Prosecuting Authority (NPA) said on Tuesday.
”Deputy President Jacob Zuma will appear in the Durban Magistrate’s Court next Wednesday (June 29) at 9am,” NPA spokesperson Makhosini Nkosi said.
Zuma would not be physically arrested but would be ordered to appear in court, Nkosi said on Monday.
The charges followed a finding by the Durban High Court of a ”generally corrupt” relationship between Zuma and his financial adviser Schabir Shaik, during Shaik’s fraud and corruption trial. Shaik was sentenced in effect to 15 years in prison.
Zuma was then relieved of his position as deputy president by President Thabo Mbeki in a special sitting of Parliament.
In a statement, Zuma welcomed the NPA’s decision to prosecute him as it afforded him ”an opportunity to respond to, and clarify the allegations that have been made against me over a period of time.”
The presidency said in a statement that Pikoli had informed President Thabo Mbeki of the development.
”The president hopes that all South Africans will allow the law to take its course,” the presidency said.
The ANC National Working Committee said it had accepted Zuma’s request to ”withdraw his participation from all ANC structures pending the completion of the legal process.”
Zuma will however remain ANC deputy president.
Political parties also welcomed the NPA’s decision. Democratic Alliance leader Tony Leon said the NPA’s decision was in line with the judgement handed down by Justice Hilary Squires in the Schabir Shaik trial, as well as with Mbeki’s decision to remove Zuma from office.
”Politically this decision is deeply significant, as it will effectively mean that Mr Zuma may now be incapable of playing any major political leadership role due to the various legal processes that will now be set in motion.
”Since Jacob Zuma has consistently maintained and demanded his day in court, we trust he will welcome the NPA’s decision, as his wish has now been granted,” Leon said.
Approached on Monday for comment on the NPA decision, Shaik declined. ”No comment,” he told the South African Press Agency politely by telephone.
ANC Youth League spokesperson Zizi Kodwa said the NPA’s decision was what Zuma had wanted all along.
”This will give Zuma the opportunity to explain his side of the story.”
He said Zuma had been found guilty by the media and the public, but through the law he was still innocent, and the ”impartial courts” would give Zuma the opportunity he deserved.
”[We and] the deputy president have been crying for three years now for this opportunity in court,” Kodwa said.
The Congress of SA Trade Unions (Cosatu) also welcomed Zuma being given an opportunity to defend himself in court, but warned against appointing a judge from a ”controversial” background.
”We hope that in appointing a judge, the authorities will be sensitive to some of the issues raised during the Shaik trial and not select a judge with a controversial background,” it said.
United Democratic Movement leader Bantu Holomisa said Zuma should now be ”the happiest man on earth. This will give him the opportunity to prove his innocence”.
The courts held the last word on Zuma’s future, ”and hopefully the NPA’s decision will help his supporters shut their mouths and wait for [the] outcome of the courts”.
The decision by the NPA sent a strong and unequivocal message to all people: in South Africa ”nobody is above the law”, Holomisa said.
The SA Communist Party said while it was saddened at this turn of events, ”we believe that this step is now both logical and necessary”.
”We trust that a court trial will shed light and bring finality to this matter.
”Comrade Zuma has consistently said that he wanted his own day in court. We trust that the NPA will now move expeditiously and fairly, and that a credible judicial process takes place,” the SACP said.
The Independent Democrats said it had faith in the judiciary and the belief that if there was sufficient evidence against Zuma, the NPA would proceed by bringing him to trial.
”We believe wholeheartedly in the rule of law and are quite certain that Mr Zuma will receive a fair trial regardless of the senior position he held in government,” the ID said.
African Christian Democratic Party MP and justice spokesperson Steve Swart said any other decision made on the matter would have flown in the face of the government in its commitment to fight corruption and fraud.
”The South African public requires an explanation from the former deputy president in view of the findings against him made by Judge Hilary Squires in the Schabir Shaik trial that Shaik and Zuma had a ‘generally corrupt’ relationship,” he said.
Freedom Front Plus leader Pieter Mulder agreed the decision would give Zuma an opportunity to state his side of the issue.
”It would have been an untenable situation for Mr Zuma and the country as a whole if he had not been prosecuted,” Mulder said. – Sapa