Allies of Jacob Zuma, South Africa’s president-in-waiting, seem prepared to stop at nothing to save their man after the country’s supreme court of appeal ruled this week that the African National Congress leader should, after all, stand trial on criminal charges of corruption, fraud, money-laundering and tax evasion.
With national elections approaching fast and confidence in South Africa’s investment-starved economy teetering, the political stakes could hardly be higher. A swift decision by Zuma’s lawyers to appeal to the Constitutional Court reflected the sense of crisis in ANC ruling circles.
In a move reminiscent of Robert Mugabe’s tactics in Zimbabwe, Zuma’s backers seem to be trying to shift the legal goalposts. Speaking after the ruling, ANC chief whip Nyamezeli Booi revealed he was launching an inquiry into the National Prosecuting Authority (NPA) — the body that brought the charges against Zuma.
The inquiry could result in “extensive revisions” to the act of Parliament governing the NPA, local media reports said. Booi denied any political motivation.
“This is not about JZ,” he said. The review was needed “so we are able to run the NPA in a proper way on behalf of the public of South Africa”.
The NPA has been embroiled in controversy before, most recently over the sacking of its director, Vusi Pikoli, by South Africa’s stand-in president, Kgalema Motlanthe, another Zuma loyalist.
“Motlanthe’s decision to fire Pikoli without justifiable explanation has all the hallmarks of a cover-up,” the opposition Democratic Alliance party said. It accused the president of putting “the narrow interests of the Zuma faction of the ANC” before those of the country.
“It must be remembered that Mr Pikoli was the one who reinstated charges against Mr Zuma,” said Bantu Holomisa, United Democratic Movement leader.
Supporters are exploring additional ways to help Zuma beat the corruption charges that arose from alleged kickbacks in a R30-billion government arms deal signed in 1999. One possibility is that Pikoli’s acting replacement at the NPA, Mokotedi Mpshe, may be persuaded to drop the case.
According to media reports, unidentified ANC members have claimed that any criminal proceedings against Zuma would in any case be “quashed” once he was elected president. Legal experts are also predicting government moves to amend the Constitution to forbid the prosecution of a sitting president.
This week’s ruling has other ramifications. By flatly rejecting last September’s lower court finding that the case against Zuma was politically motivated, the appeal court has to some extent exonerated Zuma’s old rival, Thabo Mbeki. He was forced to hand over the presidency to Motlanthe after the September finding. Mbeki supporters in the ANC subsequently formed the Congress of the People (Cope), which said the Zuma faction had acted recklessly and opportunistically in ousting Mbeki before his term expired.
Other Mugabe-ish tendencies in South African governance are causing increasing concern. Despite uproar over the corruption case, plus concerns about a national unemployment rate of 23%, falling foreign investment, a rising current account deficit, high crime levels and poor educational and social provision, the ANC seems assured of re-election — as has been the case continuously since the first post-apartheid polls in 1994.
Speaking last month, Cope leader Mosiuoa Lekota said the Zuma case was typical of a ruling culture riddled with corruption. For his part, Zuma is trying to stand above the fray. Visiting a school in Soweto this week, he offered no comment on the court’s decision, urged pupils to study hard, and said he regretted his lack of a formal education. “I wish I was among you at the right time so I could be a better person.” – guardian.co.uk