South Africa's Jacob Zuma in court on April 6 on graft charges

Former South African President Jacob Zuma. He will appear in court on April 6 to face corruption charges. FILE PHOTO | WU HONG | AFP

By  AFP

What you need to know:

  • It was announced last week that Zuma, who resigned as president last month, would face prosecution over the deal signed in the 1990s.
  • If found guilty, Zuma could face a lengthy prison sentence.

JOHANNESBURG

Former South African president Jacob Zuma is to appear in court on April 6 to face charges of corruption, fraud and money-laundering, police said Monday.

"We can confirm that the summons has been served to the former president," Hangwani Mulaudzi, spokesman for the Hawks police investigation unit, said.

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"The case is going to be heard on April 6 at the Durban High Court."

DEALS

Prosecutors in the case allege that Mr Zuma took kickbacks from the purchase of fighter jets, patrol boats and other arms manufactured by five European firms including British military equipment maker BAE Systems and French company Thales.

It was announced last week that Zuma, who resigned as president last month, would face prosecution over the deal signed in the 1990s.

However, a spokesperson for the elite Hawks police investigative unit told the eNCA news channel the date for the hearing had not yet been confirmed.

Mr Hangwani Mulaudzi said it was hoped that it would be finalised within the next week.

Mr Zuma stepped down under pressure from his ruling African National Congress party in the wake of a slew of corruption scandals.

Mr Zuma’s criminal charges relate to the arms procurement deals struck by the government in the late 1990s and from which he is accused of profiting corruptly to the tune of four million rand ($345,000, 280,000 euros).

CASE DROPPED

Prosecutors in 2009 decided to drop the corruption charges against Mr Zuma just months before he became president.

Last year a court ruled against that decision, leading to the path to last month’s decision to prosecute. State prosecutors previously justified dropping the case by saying that tapped phone calls between officials in then-president Thabo Mbeki’s administration showed undue interference.

However, National Director of Public Prosecutions Shaun Abrahams, told a media briefing in Pretoria on March 16 he believed there were “reasonable prospects of a successful prosecution of Mr Zuma on the charges listed in the indictment”. 

The National Prosecuting Authority spokesman Luvuyo Mfaku confirmed earlier that France’s Thales firm would also face prosecution, alongside Zuma.

If found guilty, Zuma could face a lengthy prison sentence.

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