South Africa corruption inquiry to summon Zuma to testify

A South African corruption inquiry will issue a summons for former President Jacob Zuma to appear to give evidence next month, the judge chairing the proceedings has said. Deputy Chief Justice Raymond Zondo said on Friday that Zuma would be required to appear from November 16 to 20, adding that this could be via video link if appropriate arrangements were made. “The secretary of the commission is hereby authorised and directed to sign and issue a summons … requiring Mr Jacob Gedleyihlekisa Zuma, former president of the Republic of South Africa, to appear,” Zondo said. Zuma, who became president in 2009, was forced to resign in February 2018 over corruption scandals centred around an Indian business family, the Guptas, who won lucrative contracts with state companies and were allegedly even able to choose cabinet ministers. Chaired by deputy chief justice Zondo, the commission was set up in 2018 to hear testimony from ministers, ex-ministers, government officials and business executives on alleged corruption during Zuma’s tenure. So far at least 34 witnesses have directly and indirectly implicated Zuma in corruption allegations, according to the commission’s advocate Paul Pretorius. “It is important for Mr Zuma to appear before the commission as most of the corruption alleged took place when he was the country’s president,” Pretorius said. Zuma appeared at the inquiry in July 2019 but has declined to return and now says Zondo is biased against him and wants to publicly humiliate him. He has denied that he broke the law with the Guptas. The Guptas have refuted allegations of wrongdoing. They left South Africa around the time Zuma was removed from power. style="width: 100%; height: 100%; position: absolute; top: 0; bottom: 0; right: 0; left: 0;">