Zuma Foundation: ‘Charges against Zuma myth, lies, propaganda’

The Jacob Zuma Foundation said it will debunk the “myth” surrounding the charges against former President Jacob Zuma.

The organisation shared a series of tweets saying the 783 charges against the former president are “lies and propaganda.”

Charges against Zuma

Zuma faces 16 charges relating to 783 payments, totalling R4.1-million, between 1995 and 2004 from his former financial adviser Schabir Shaik and Shaik’s companies, to help French arms company Thales secure lucrative defence contracts from the government as part of the country’s armaments deal.

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Zuma has pleaded not guilty to the charges against him, including corruption, fraud, racketeering, and money laundering.

What the JZ Foundation said

The Jacob Zuma Foundation in the tweets said the charges have been trumped up against the former president.

“The time to debunk the nonsensical so-called arms deal corruption with phantom 783 charges against, the innocent and falsely accused H.E President Zuma has come.”

“From tomorrow morning the foundation will continue this thread unpacking the indictment. Fasten your seat belts,” it said.

In another tweet, the foundation posted a sheet of paper reflecting what it called “the first six” charges.

“Let’s debunk the myth, lies and propaganda. There’s no such thing as 783 charges. It’s only 18 Counts. Let’s start with the 1st six.”

Zuma vs State Prosecutor and Journalist

Meanwhile, legal experts said the private prosecution bid instigated by the former president against Advocate Billy Downer for allegedly leaking his confidential medical records to News24 journalist Karyn Maughan is likely to have no bearing on the arms deal case.

Ulrich Roux, founder and managing director of Ulrich Roux and Associates, said the move by Zuma was just a way to frustrate the process and to frustrate Downer from prosecuting the matter.

Zuma launched the proceedings against Maughan and senior state prosecutor, advocate Billy Downer, in the KwaZulu-Natal High Court in Pietermaritzburg earlier this month.

The private prosecution comes after a criminal complaint opened by the former president in October last year at the Pietermaritzburg police station against Downer for allegedly leaking his confidential medical records to Maughan.

Downer and Maughan are expected to appear in the Pietermaritzburg high court on 10 October.

Zuma initiated the private prosecution after he laid criminal charges, which the NPA declined to prosecute.

Additional reporting by Lunga Mzangwe

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