Zuma to be charged
Zibonele Ntuli
21 June 2005
South Africa's National Prosecuting Authority (NPA) has announced that it will charge former deputy president Jacob Zuma on two counts of corruption.
Zuma was "released from his responsibilities" as deputy president and member of the Cabinet by President Thabo Mbeki last Tuesday. This followed the judgment in the trial of Schabir Shaik, Zuma's financial adviser, in which Judge Hillary Squires found Shaik and Zuma to have had a "generally corrupt relationship".
President Mbeki said at the time that because of this "assumed unsavoury relationship", it was in the interest of the government and "our young democratic system" that the deputy president be dismissed.
Shaik was convicted on two counts of corruption and one of fraud, and sentenced to an effective 15 years in jail.
NPA spokesperson Makhosini Nkosi told a media briefing in Pretoria on Monday that the NPA had decided to press charges against Zuma after it concluded its study of
Squires's judgment and had taken the aspects of it that related to Zuma into consideration.
"Taking into consideration all evidence at its disposal, the NPA is of the view that there is reasonable prospect of a successful prosecution," Nkosi said.
He said the matter had been thoroughly discussed between NPA head advocate Vusi Pikoli and the team that investigated and prosecuted Shaik.
"This afternoon advocate Pikoli informed the former deputy president Zuma that he has decided to bring criminal charges against his person," Nkosi said. "Such charges will be constituted by, among others, two counts of corruption."
He explained that the NPA had taken the interest of the public, the former deputy president, justice and the integrity of the criminal system into account in arriving at its decision.
"Zuma will in due course be informed of the date, time and place where he will have to avail himself at court to face these charges," he said.
In a statement
released on Monday night, Zuma said he welcomed the decision. He said it gave him an opportunity to respond to and clarify allegations that had been made against him over a period of time.
The ANC's national working committee has accepted Zuma's request to withdraw from participation in all ANC structures pending the outcome of the trial. Zuma will, however, remain deputy president of the ANC party.
Source: BuaNews
| 
