DA lays charges against Zuma and 11 others

In a statement published on its website, the Democratic Alliance confirmed reports of filing criminal charges against Jacob Zuma and 11 other “members of his syndicate”.

The DA opened a criminal case against President Jacob Zuma and 11 others at the Cape Town Central Police Station on Tuesday.

Along with Zuma, the DA laid charges against the Gupta family, several Cabinet ministers and senior executives of state-owned entities, and “other individuals alleged to be key players in the criminal syndicate that has captured large elements of the South African state”.

According to the statement, the charges are based on new evidence that emerged this past weekend. The said evidence comes in the form of documentation and emails, forming a paper trail the DA says implicates the aforementioned individuals in serious criminal offences.

DA leader Mmusi Maimane after opening the case against Jacob Zuma

The party also says the charges are a preliminary indictment and they might supplement these charges should more related evidence surface.

The DA accuses Zuma, the Guptas and several others of corruption, racketeering and treason, and emphasises that the accused individuals should be held accountable for their criminal actions and subsequently face the full might of the law.

Should the opposition party gets its way, the matter will first go before an ad hoc parliamentary committee, and thereafter a judicial commission of inquiry, with the objective to “uncover” the Guptas’ influence within the state.

‘We will not allow Zuma Inc. to continue to steal from our people. We must earnestly focus South Africa towards building a prosperous nation, where jobs can be created for all,” the statement concludes.