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Jacob Zuma Graft Trial Resumes Online After Deadly South Africa Violence

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Jacob Zuma Graft Trial Resumes Online After Deadly South Africa Violence

The graft trial of South African ex-president Jacob Zuma resumed on Monday, held online in a bid to forestall another wave of the deadly unrest that swept the nation after he was jailed in an unrelated case.

Although the proceedings were taking place virtually, security was tight around the High Court in the southeastern city of Pietermaritzburg, the capital of Zuma’s home region of KwaZulu-Natal, where Zuma loyalists have previously gathered in rowdy shows of support.

Armed police and soldiers, deployed to quell recent riots, secured the area around the court.

A brown military vehicle towered over armoured police vehicles as a helicopter flew above, according to a reporter at the scene.

Zuma faces 16 charges of fraud, graft and racketeering related to the 1999 purchase of fighter jets, patrol boats and military gear from five European arms firms when he was deputy president.

He is accused of taking bribes from one of the firms, French defence giant Thales, which has been charged with corruption and money laundering.

The trial started in May after numerous postponements and delays, as Zuma’s legal team worked fervently to have the charges dropped.


He proclaimed his innocence when he appeared in person for the opening in May. Thales has also pleaded not guilty.

On June 29, Zuma was separately found guilty of contempt of South Africa’s top court for snubbing graft investigators probing his time as president. He was jailed on July 8.

– Teflon president –

South Africa was then plunged into chaos, with looting and rioting erupting in KwaZulu-Natal as well as in the economic hub of Johannesburg in Gauteng province, claiming more than 200 lives.

The unrest was widely seen as at least partially in response to Zuma’s imprisonment.

Monday’s hearing could reignite tensions that had eased by the weekend, analysts warn.

Zuma is being portrayed by a radical faction of the ruling African National Congress (ANC) as a hero of the poor.

“People will be watching the behaviour of judges,” said Sipho Seepe, a fellow of the University of Zululand in KwaZulu-Natal.

“If they feel justice is not done, they will protest.”

Monday’s hearing is expected to focus on an application by Zuma’s legal team for chief prosecutor Billy Downer to recuse himself from the case over claims he leaked information to the media.

The National Prosecuting Authority (NPA) said it would “vigorously” oppose the application.

The trial is resuming virtually to avoid “disruption”, NPA spokesman Mthunzi Mhaga said, although other court cases are also being heard online due to the pandemic.

Defence lawyers claim the virtual format is unconstitutional and have applied for the trial to be adjourned.

Zuma and his backers have repeatedly dismissed scrutiny of the ex-president’s conduct as politically motivated and warned his jailing would spark unrest.

But they deny being behind the recent turmoil.

Zuma, once dubbed the “Teflon president”, is meanwhile seeking to overturn his 15-month jail sentence.

He was arrested for disobeying a Constitutional Court order to testify before a judicial panel probing corruption during his presidency.

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Malema Warns Against ANC Denial: Zuma’s Vote Won’t Save Them

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Malema Warns Against ANC Denial: Zuma's Vote Won't Save Them

In a press conference held at Moses Mabhida Stadium in KwaZulu-Natal on Friday, the Economic Freedom Fighters (EFF) leader, Julius Malema, addressed the recent announcement by former president Jacob Zuma regarding his support for the newly registered party, Umkhonto weSizwe (MK), over the ANC in the upcoming elections.

Malema, acknowledging Zuma’s right to vote for any party of his choosing, expressed disappointment that Zuma had not declared his vote in favor of his own party. “He decides to vote for non-existing things, and that is not going to help us displace the ANC,” Malema remarked.

Zuma had previously stated that supporting MK would help save the ANC from losing power. Malema, however, argued that Zuma was in denial about the ANC’s decline, emphasizing that no one, not even former President Nelson Mandela, could rescue it with “Madiba magic.”

Malema Warns Against ANC Denial: Zuma's Vote Won't Save Them

The EFF leader issued a stern warning to party members, urging them not to participate in any activities planned by MK ahead of the elections. Malema emphasized that the EFF’s constitution explicitly prohibits members from campaigning for or supporting other political parties.

As the ANC’s grip on power weakens, Malema predicts that Zuma’s efforts to save the party will be in vain. Despite Zuma’s political chess moves, Malema remains confident that the ANC is beyond rescue.

The date for the general elections is yet to be announced by President Cyril Ramaphosa, while Malema announced that the EFF is preparing to launch its manifesto in KwaZulu-Natal next month.

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Malema Accuses Ramaphosa Of Hiding More Billions

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We Won’t Observe Covid-19 Regulations On Campaign Trail, Says Defiant Malema

Julius Malema, LEADER of the EFF has alleged that South African’s President Cyril Ramaphosa has hidden in rand undeclared money in his other properties other than Phala Phala farm.

Addressing some party students faithful at the 4th Students Assembly held in Birchwood, Boksburg, on Saturday, the outspoken leader accused President Cyril Ramaphosa  of keeping billion of money.

“There are millions more that is being kept under mattresses in other residences. There is still Soweto. There is still Venda. There is still Cape Town and there is still Mpumalanga where monies are stored under mattresses.

We asked the question in Parliament how much is left in these properties because we are talking about one property. All these properties have got money stored,” Malema said.

According to Malema, the ANC party is full of dishonest people who continue to protect Ramaphosa even after they failed to pay ANC workers salaries.

Mr Julius Malema opined that instead of keeping the billions, Ramaphosa could have used the money to pay off the salaries of the ANC workers which has been delayed since some part of 2021.

“To show that the ANC is constituted by sick people they still call such a person their president while they were starving for six months last year as the workers have been working with no salary. Cyril’s conscience does not even say let me take a bit here for the ANC and find a way of giving them a salary …we are talking about billions. He does not have sympathy for those workers who work for his party while he is sleeping on top of billions,” he said.

Over the past few weeks there have calls for President Cryil Ramaphosa to resign amidst growing number of demonstrations.

Meanwhile, EFF leader has  said the EFF was in consultation with other opposition parties to bring the country to a standstill with a possible shutdown against Ramaphosa’s failing administration.

“We are in consultation with everyone and we have reached a point where we no longer care. This man must go. We will remove him whether he likes it or not. So when we call for the mother of all shutdowns, every campus must come to a standstill.

Not only students, including workers themselves. We are not going to teach. We are not going to clean. We are not going to manage. We are going to defend South Africa against gangsters because South Africa has been captured by gangsters,” Malema told the students.

 

 

 

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JUST IN: Oscar Mabuyane Wins Eastern Cape ANC Elections

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JUST IN: Oscar Mabuyane Wins Eastern Cape ANC Elections

The Eastern Cape provincial chairperson position has been retained by Oscar Mabuyane.

Oscar Mabuyane faced a s tiff competition from former provincial treasurer Babalo Madikizela.

Mr Mabuyane had 812 votes while his rival obtained 662 cast in a heavily contested election.

Meanwhile, Mlungisi Mvoko was elected as the deputy chairperson.

The national chairperson Gwede Mantashe address the ANC members at its conference which began on Saturday.

President Cyril Ramaphosa was supposed to deliver the closing remarks on Sunday, but this was moved to Monday after delays.

The governing party used Sunday to deal with the issue of credentials and planned to complete the conference on Monday.

On Sunday until of some of the branch delegates were adopted, the party was stuck on the question of credentials for hours.

More than 1 300 eligible voting delegates participated in electing the five leaders to lead the province and the Provincial Executive Committee (PEC).

The battle for control of the party had been intense with both sides pushing hard for their candidates.

ANC NEC deployee Dr Aaron Motsoaledi said “The issues there were about the authority of the court about Rubusana.”

According to him, they had to attend to some serious issues raised at the conference.

This related to the judgment on Saturday that rejected an urgent application by some of the members to exclude some of the branches from the Dr BW Rubusana region.

Motsoaledi said this was one of the sticking points but the conference eventually forged ahead.

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Ramaphosa, Xi Jinping Call For End Of War In Ukraine

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Ramaphosa, Xi Jinping Call For End Of War In Ukraine

President Cyril Ramaphosa and his Chinese counterpart Xi Jinping have expressed concern about the situation in Ukraine and called for an end to the conflict.

This follows a telephone discussion between Xi and Ramaphosa on Friday.

Xi is the alternate leader that Ramaphosa has verified he has spoken to after the conflict erupted in Ukraine.

A week ago he took a call from Russian chairman Vladimir Putin, and during the question and answer session in the public council this week, Ramaphosa said Putin had emphasised the issue of accommodations to chancing a result.

On Friday he said he’d held analogous addresses with Xi. The chairman also said this week he’d been asked to intervene in Ukraine.

He called for an end to the conflict, saying durable peace was demanded in Ukraine. Ramaphosa had said it would be wrong to simply condemn one side and prompted both parties to come to the negotiating table.

The UN Secretary-General, Antonio Guterres, has also been prompted to play a commanding part in ending the conflict. Ramaphosa this week also called for the reform of the UN Security Council.

Ramaphosa said it was wrong that for a mainland like Africa, with a population of1.3 billion people, it doesn’t have a endless seat in the security council.

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JUST IN: Mbali Ntuli Is The Latest Black Leader To Resign From DA

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JUST IN: Mbali Ntuli Is The Latest Black Leader To Resign From DA

Mbali Ntuli has joined a growing list of prominent black leaders who have left the Democratic Alliance in recent times after she blazoned her abdication from the party on Thursday.

In a statement, Ntuli verified she proffered her abdication as a member of the DA and member of the KwaZulu-Natal Legislature.

According to her, her decision to quit was not easy, “but one that is necessary for my growth as a community leader”.

The former DA Youth leader who made her bournes clear when she, also Gauteng leader John Moody and John Steenhuisen challenged each other for the public leader position in the last optional conference.

She has frequently spoken out against the DA’s leadership and programs, substantially criminating it of being ineffective and lacking.

In a letter publicizing her intention to dispute the position of party leader, Ntuli noted there were major issues defying the party and its leadership.

She said the party had lost benefactors “ who no longer believe in us”, throwing the DA into a fiscal extremity and as a result, there wasn’t enough backing for constituencies to do political conditioning.

In 2020, Ntuli wrote an open letter named “ Interposers and Outlanders The politicisation of our DA correctional processes”, where she recalled how at some point, the party’s top brass wanted to expel her using bogus charges.

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