South Africa's Zuma to be tried for corruption

• Report rights infringement
• published: 23 Jul 2015
• views: 3355

SHOTLIST SABC - No access South Africa Nkandla area, KwaZulu-Natal - 28 December 2007 1. Wide of newly elected ANC President Jacob Zuma performing on stage with children (at party for disadvantaged children) 2. Zuma leaving stage 3. SOUNDBITE: (English) Jacob Zuma, newly elected President of the African National Congress (ANC): (Q: (English) reporter: "The papers were served on you .... (remainder of question inaudible)) "It's the first time I hear that I haven't heard anything of that nature." SABC - NO ACCESS SOUTH AFRICA FILE: Polokwane, Limpopo Province - 18 December 2007 4. Wide of African National Congress (ANC) conference 5. Member of the ANC National Executive Committee (NEC) announcing Zuma won presidency with 2329 votes 6. Various of ANC delegates celebrating result AP Television FILE: Pretoria - 21 December 2007 7. Media at news conference at the house of current South African President Thabo Mbeki 8. SOUNDBITE: (English) Thabo Mbeki, South African President: "I have insisted on this, and that includes the President of the ANC, Jacob Zuma, that the law must take its course. All of us have insisted on that. And indeed as you will recall in the past, all sorts of things had been said about him and the media etcetera. He has said - again quite correctly - that he needs to be given his opportunity in court to state his case and prove he's innocent." AP Television FILE: Polokwane, Limpopo Province - 20 December 2007 9. News conference held by Zuma 10. SOUNDBITE: (English) Jacob Zuma, newly elected President of the African National Congress (ANC): "I think if there are allegations, I will answer that (them) in court. But it was twisted, doctored and it became an allegation that Zuma wants his day in court, now or never." 11. End shot of news conference STORYLINE The newly elected president of South Africa's ruling African National Congress (ANC), Jacob Zuma, has been ordered to stand trial in the High Court in August next year, his lawyer said on Friday. Zuma will be tried in the High Court in August on charges of racketeering, money laundering, corruption and fraud, his lawyer, Michael Hulley said. The 65-year-old Zuma defeated South African President Thabo Mbeki last week in a bitterly contested election for the leadership of the ANC. The battle left deep rifts in the 85-year-old party, which former president Nelson Mandela led to victory over the racist apartheid state. The popular former guerrilla fighter was handing out presents to children Friday at an annual Christmas party in his home village in KwaZulu-Natal. He would not answer reporters questions on the matter. Zuma, who was acquitted of rape last year, has denied any corruption and has said prosecutors are trying to smear him for political reasons. In a harshly worded statement E-mailed to the Associated Press, Hulley accused prosecutors of acting "with improper motive calculated to discredit" Zuma. "The timing is calculated to quickly redress the popular support and call to leadership of the ANC which Zuma's election so obviously demonstrates," he said. Mbeki fired Zuma as the country's deputy president in 2005 after Zuma's financial adviser was convicted of trying to elicit bribes. Prosecutors contend Zuma was aware of efforts to secure payments for him from French arms company Thint Holdings in exchange for stopping investigations into a multibillion-dollar arms deal with the government. Charges against Zuma were thrown out last year on a technicality. But last week the country's top prosecutor said he had enough evidence to go back to court - an announcement that overshadowed Zuma's victory over Mbeki. Zuma responded defiantly at press conference after his election as ANC president. You can license this story through AP Archive: http://www.aparchive.com/metadata/youtube/cb2845eaa0f96520f97ad5b6fc269ce7 Find out more about AP Archive: http://www.aparchive.com/HowWeWork