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South Africa: Ex-President Zuma requests presence in the corruption process

2021-07-19T15:49:15.498Z


After his imprisonment, riots broke out in South Africa with dozens of deaths, and the corruption process against ex-President Jacob Zuma has now continued via video. His lawyers don't want to accept that.


Enlarge image

The imprisoned South African former head of state Zuma was switched on from a detention center

Photo: South Africa Judiciary / AP

In South Africa, ex-President Jacob Zuma, who has been in prison for a week and a half, has made public appearances again for the first time.

From his detention center, he was connected to a publicly broadcast hearing of a court in the city of Pietermaritzburg on Monday via video, before which a corruption case is at stake.

Dressed in a dark suit with a red tie, Zuma listened in an office chair as his lawyers requested to appear in person. He didn't say anything himself. Zuma's lawyers argue that direct agreements with their clients are impossible in online proceedings and that their rights are compromised. A postponement of the process by three weeks is therefore necessary. By then, the country's constitutional court should have decided on Zuma's detention.

Zuma are accused of corruption, money laundering and fraud in connection with a billion-dollar arms deal.

He denies all allegations and had tried in vain to get the case closed.

Zuma was South African President from 2009 to 2018 before resigning after a series of corruption scandals.

He faces up to 25 years in prison.

Zuma recently served a 15-month prison sentence for disregarding the judiciary.

He had not followed a subpoena.

Protests by his supporters then developed into large-scale riots with 215 dead within a few days.

The worst riots occurred in the industrial heart of the country around Johannesburg and Zuma's home province of KwaZulu-Natal.

Government remains vague about backers

After the mobilization of 25,000 soldiers, the security situation had stabilized again.

According to President Cyril Ramaphosa, an unspecified group had attempted an "uprising" to incite looting and violence and to destabilize the economy.

Six instigators had been arrested, the government announced in the evening without further information.

One of them was released on bail.

fek / dpa / Reuters

Source: spiegel

All news articles on 2021-07-19

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