‘It’s just desperate fake news’, Zuma Foundation rubbishes claims of Zuma, Mpofu split

The Jacob Zuma Foundation has rubbished claims the former president will no longer be legally represented by Advocate Dali Mpofu.

This comes after a tweet was shared online alleging Zuma had “cut ties” with the lawyer who had represented him in his various legal battles.

“Former President Jacob Zuma has decided to cut ties with the useless Adv Dali Mpofu. No more will his services be utilized by Zuma,” the post read on X.

Fake news

Jacob Zuma Foundation spokesperson Mzwanele Manyi said the post was “desperate fake news”.

“It must be discarded, there is no such a thing. Advocate Mpofu continues to be the senior counsel for his excellency, President Zuma. Anything else is just pure fake. Malicious, fake.”

Last week, the Jacob Zuma Foundation said Zuma would not be doing interviews. The announcement came after he lost two appeals in the courts.

The former president he lost his appeals in the private prosecutions of President Cyril Ramaphosa and in a case against lead prosecutor in his arms deal corruption case Billy Downer and journalist Karyn Maughan.

After the judgements, Manyi said: “Please be advised the patron of the foundation, H.E President Zuma, will not be doing any media interviews on any matter under the sun.”

ALSO READ: ‘He won’t be doing interviews on any matter under the sun’– Zuma goes to ground

Court battles

The former president appeared in the Pietermaritzburg High Court on Monday to appeal an order which declared the setting aside of his private prosecution against Downer and Maughan as immediately enforceable.

In delivering the judgment, Judge Gregory Kruger said the former president’s appeal had no merits, adding the court stood by its original reasons and conclusions and did not believe another court would come to a different conclusion.

Less than 24 hours later, the former president suffered a second court loss after his leave to appeal application in his private prosecution of Ramaphosa was dismissed.

ALSO READ: Court dismisses Zuma’s leave to appeal in Ramaphosa’s private prosecution