/ 7 August 2007

Zuma break-in not a ‘random act of crime’

A break-in at a Durban beachfront flat rented by African National Congress (ANC) deputy president Jacob Zuma ”does not appear to be a random act of crime”, the Star reported on Tuesday.

Zuma’s flat on the Snell Parade was broken into on Monday but nothing was taken.

The report said it appeared the intruder rifled through the ANC deputy president’s documents.

He was in Johannesburg at the time of the break-in.

Zuma’s attorney, Michael Hulley on Monday told the paper that ”South Africans are subjected to criminal activity everyday”.

However, the circumstances of the break-in ”suggest a sinister intention. This does not appear to be a random act of crime”.

Police spokesperson Muzi Mngomezulu told the paper ”a hard object, probably a crowbar” was used to enter the flat.

Accusations

Meanwhile, the Star also reported that prosecuting authorities want Zuma to be censured for his ”scandalous”, ”gratuitous” and ”unwarranted” accusations of dishonesty and political engineering against the state.

The report said the Scorpions have asked the Supreme Court of Appeal to order Zuma to foot a multimillion-rand legal bill as punishment.

The ANC deputy president claims that the state’s investigation into possible corruption charges against him was ”engineered” to tarnish his name ahead of the party’s conference in December, the report said.

It added that the state will ask the appeal court ”to consider ordering punitive costs against Zuma and Thint”.

This was ”in the light of persistent unfounded and unwarranted attacks on the integrity and good faith of officials of the National Director of Public Prosecutions”. – Sapa