SOUTH AFRICA: South African judge to pass judgement on ruling party leader Jacob Zuma's bid to have a graft case against him dismissed by September 12

Record ID: 452440

  • Title: SOUTH AFRICA: South African judge to pass judgement on ruling party leader Jacob Zuma's bid to have a graft case against him dismissed by September 12
  • Date: 5th August 2008
  • Summary: (W3) PIETERMARITZBURG, SOUTH AFRICA (AUGUST 05, 2008) (REUTERS) ANC LEADER JACOB ZUMA LEAVING COURT SURROUNDED BY ANC AND GOVERNMENT OFFICIALS/ WAVING TO SUPPORTERS
  • Embargoed: 20th August 2008 13:00
  • Keywords:
  • Location: South Africa
  • Country: South Africa
  • Topics: Legal System,Domestic Politics
  • Reuters ID: LVAUFK4SUNMEGZ29D0KV6TZ36WD
  • Story Text: A South African judge said on Tuesday (August 5), he would decide next month on ruling party leader Jacob Zuma's bid to have a graft case against him dismissed.
    The case is the biggest obstacle to Zuma succeeding President Thabo Mbeki after general elections next year, almost certain to be won by the ANC.
    Judge Chris Nicholson said the court the judgment would be given on the September 12.
    Nicholson set a Dec. 8 start date for Zuma's corruption trial in the event that he fails in his application to have the charges dismissed.
    Zuma denies charges of corruption, fraud, money-laundering and racketeering, but says he will step down if convicted. A long trial could overlap with next year's general election, risking increased political instability in Africa's biggest economy.
    Analysts said it was possible that any Zuma trial might be delayed for months, even years, as he would be able to appeal the judge's ruling in the appeals court and South Africa's highest court, the Constitutional Court.
    Zuma's strong links with trade unions worry some investors, who see Mbeki's policies as more pro-business, but they are also concerned about continuing uncertainty.
    Zuma is accused of taking 783 bribes totalling 4.07 million rand (553,400 U.S. dollars (USD) over a 10-year period. Most of the alleged payments were connected to his former financial adviser Schabir Shaik, now serving a 15 year prison sentence for corruption.
    Zuma is also accused of soliciting a 500,000 rand bribe from French arms group Thint relating to a massive arms deal arranged by South Africa in the late 1990s.
    Charges against Zuma were dropped in 2005 for technical reasons, although Mbeki fired him as deputy president. Prosecutors renewed the charges shortly after Zuma beat Mbeki last December to win the ANC leadership.

    "My lawyers' arguments are that, wrong procedures were followed when these charges were laid. When laying charges after a person was convicted on same charges in the court of law, certain procedures must be followed which my prosecutors failed to do. It is on these grounds that we want charges to be dropped," Zuma told his supporters after the court hearing.
    His supporters say the case is a conspiracy by Mbeki loyalists aimed at derailing Zuma's political ambitions.
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