Zuma claims corruption charges against him should be dropped

2 Feb 18

South African president Jacob Zuma has asked prosecutors to drop corruption charges against him, the state prosecutor said on Thursday. 

The president has faced numerous allegations of corruption since taking office and has been called to step-down within the ruling African National Congress, which has said it would remove him as president before the end of mid-2019.

Zuma submitted documents to the National Prosecuting Agency with reasons why the 783 counts of corruption should not be reinstated, Reuters reported. The allegations relate to a 30bn rand ($2bn) arms deal arranged in the late 1990s.

NPA spokesperson Luvuyo Mfaku said NPA head Shaun Abrahams has “personally received the representations from the legal representatives of Mr Zuma late yesterday evening [Wednesday]”.

The country’s high court reinstates the charged in April 2016 and the supreme court upheld that decision in October.

In December the high court ordered Zuma to pay the legal costs for trying to block a demand for an official inquiry into allegations against his government.

The opposition has called for Zuma to be removed from office before February 8, when he is due to deliver the State of the Nation Address.

The parliament has scheduled a motion of no-confidence against the president for 22 February.

But Parliament has said he will deliver the speech. 

Did you enjoy this article?

Related articles

Have your say

Newsletter

CIPFA latest

Most popular

Most commented

Events & webinars