Publication: Business Day Issued: Date: 2006-10-26 Reporter: Wyndham Hartley Reporter:

Zuma’s Legal Fight gets R10m Lift from Taxpayer

 

Publication 

Business Day
Date 2006-10-26

Reporter

Wyndham Hartley

Web Link

www.businessday.co.za

 

CAPE TOWN ­ It was revealed yesterday that President Thabo Mbeki’s office is to fork out R10m for former deputy president Jacob Zuma’s legal fees, despite recent public statements that the matter was still “under consideration”.

Two months ago, the Pietermaritzburg High Court heard from Zuma’s defence counsel in his fraud and corruption trial that assistance with legal costs should come from the state, but that at that stage it was “nonexistent”.

Numerous questions from opposition MPs to both the Presidency *1 and the justice ministry drew replies that the matter was under consideration.

Yesterday, in the adjusted estimates of national expenditure tabled in Parliament, under the heading of “compensation of employees” *2 in the budget of the Presidency, it says money saved through inability to fill budgeted posts *2 would be used “for the former deputy president’s legal fees (R10m)”.

The mounting legal costs have featured prominently in Zuma’s court appearances leading to his trial being struck from the court roll last month. The Friends of Jacob Zuma Trust have also been raising funds to pay Zuma’s legal costs.

Democratic Alliance justice spokeswoman Sheila Camerer said the rape and corruption charges that Zuma had faced could not be applied to his duties either as deputy president or his former post of economic affairs MEC in KwaZulu-Natal.

“Members of government are not supposed to do their duties corruptly, and if it is for the costs of the rape trial, then that is truly appalling.”

Camerer also pointed out that in the recent trial of former Western Cape premier Peter Marais and former MEC Davis Malatsi, the Western Cape government refused to fund their legal costs.

Presidential spokesman Mukoni Ratshitanga yesterday said the R10m had been set aside because it was not known what the final cost of Zuma’s trial would be.

With acknowledgement to Wyndham Hartley and Business Day.


*1       Between the devil and the dark blue sea.


*2      Sneaky.