State capture report ‘not worth the paper it’s written on’, says Zuma

The Jacob G Zuma Foundation said former president Jacob Zuma will consult with his legal team “on the appropriate course of action to be taken”, following his implication in the third State Capture report.

Zuma has been implicated in all three State Capture Commission reports, the last of which was released on Tuesday.

Judge Raymond Zondo based the findings in the latest report on the testimony of Angelo Agrizzi and other witnesses, who demonstrated that Bosasa used their access to ANC higher-ups.

State capture report part 3

Zuma Foundation responds

The foundation said Zuma was “denied the opportunity of a neutral platform to put his side of the story in the so-called Zondo Commission”.

Furthermore, the foundation said the findings presented in the report were made “without affording him the most basic of human rights to be heard”.

“In these circumstances, such ‘findings’ are obviously not even worth the paper they are written on”.

Zuma versus Zondo

Zuma has been pushing for Judge Zondo to recuse himself from the commission, citing the relationship between Zondo and the former president.

The application […] to recuse himself […] which he has recently and inadvertently confirmed during the Chief Justice interviews, is a matter which is still pending before the courts”, the foundation said.

Part three of the state capture report focuses on the corruption within Bosasa’s business model, and how it benefited Zuma, Gwede Mantashe, Nomvula Mokonyane, and Thabang Makwetla.

The 1 000-page third segment – which was released late Tuesday evening – focused on the “gratifications” offered to officials who enjoyed the spoils of the corrupt relationship.

Zuma implicated in report

Zuma is implicated through his relationship with Gavin Watson, who served as Chief Executive Officer of Bosasa from 2000 until his death in 2019.

In return for incentives from Watson, Zuma secured lucrative government contracts by allegedly bribing several politicians and government officials.

The report said there were “reasonable grounds” and “sufficient evidence” of Watson and Bosasa providing “inducements and gain to Mr Zuma, aimed at gaining influence over [Zuma]”.

“Based on the foregoing analysis, there is sufficient evidence to establish that Mr Zuma accepted gratification from another person, ie Bosasa (or its directors or employees), which held and sought to obtain contracts with government”.