It’s now time for Jacob Zuma to have his day in court

30 April 2016

It is now time for President Jacob Zuma to stop the foot-dragging – which has cost the public millions of rands – and to accept he must now answer for the 783 charges of corruption, fraud, racketeering and money laundering in a Court of Law.

I therefore urge the President not to appeal what was a unanimous judgement by a full bench of the North Gauteng High Court. 

Taking this fight all the way to the Supreme Court of Appeal, and Constitutional Court if need be, will only continue to delay him having to answer for these charges, and in doing so, waste money that should be spent on delivering better services and creating jobs. 

According to the Presidency Budget, and excluding the use of funds from alternative budgets in the process, the Presidency has spent more than R43 million on legal fees since Jacob Zuma came to office. 

In a reply to a DA parliamentary question in 2013, the President revealed then that the amount spent on this court case in particular amounted to R1,262,479.70. 

While we do not yet have an updated figure at this stage, it is apparent that millions of rands of the people’s money are being used to keep the President from having his day in court. 

These valuable resources should rather be directed to where they are needed most, like in Zandspruit, Johannesburg – which still has no electricity and sanitation.

The DA’s message to President Jacob Zuma today is clear: stop wasting other people’s money to avoid answering for the very serious charges of corruption against you. It is now time that you accept the judgment and explain yourself before a court of this country.

Statement issued by DA leader, Mmusi Maimane, 30 April 2016