Axed deputy president Jacob Zuma has asked the state to pay the legal costs of his corruption trial, Beeld newspaper reported on Saturday.
Presidency spokesperson Murphey Morobe confirmed Zuma had made the request. The matter is still being decided on.
This follows the state paying for a group of Zuma’s legal representatives at his former financial adviser Schabir Shaik’s fraud and corruption trial.
Last month, Deputy President Phumzile Mlambo-Ngcuka said in an answer to a question in Parliament that Zuma had not yet made the request.
Earlier this year, the tripartite alliance, comprising the African National Congress, South African Communist Party and Congress of South African Trade Unions, urged Zuma to make the request for state funding as the alleged corruption occurred while he was employed by the government. — Sapa