Pietermaritzburg, South Africa - Hundreds of supporters of
the leader of South Africa's ruling party, Jacob Zuma, braved cold
and wet conditions to show their support for the 66-year-old
presidential hopeful ahead of a court hearing to decide the validity
of corruption charges against him.
The gathering Sunday night came ahead of Zuma's appeal Monday to
the High Court in the southern city of Pietermaritzburg to set aside
the prosecution of the African National Congress (ANC) leader on
charges of corruption, fraud, racketeering and money laundering in a
state arms deal.
He is to argue that the state did not allow him to make
representations about the charges against him before indicting him.
'We know he is innocent,' said Sbuonelo Mbatha, 27, a
self-employed man from Pietermaritzburg, who spent the night in a
square opposite the courthouse in a show of support for Zuma.
'Zuma is going to be president, even if he's in orange clothes,'
Mbatha added, referring to prison uniforms.
'Even if he is guilty, they [the government] are just using this
[case against Zuma] to cover their tracks,' Nokuthula Mjilo, a
31-year-old office employee wrapped in a cloth bearing the image of
Zuma's face, said while humming the tune to the Zulu politician's
trademark anti-apartheid song, Umshini Wam, or Bring Me My Machine
Gun.
The case is the latest in a string of court actions taken by Zuma
to avoid a fresh trial involving South Africa's multibillion-dollar
arms buildup in the late 1990s.
The first case against him was thrown out of the same
Pietermaritzburg court in 2006 over delays by the prosecution in
presenting evidence.
The National Prosecuting Authority brought the new charges against
Zuma in December, a few days after he romped to victory over
President Thabo Mbeki in an ANC leadership race.
Zuma's supporters in the ANC, the allied trade union movement and
Communist Party claimed that the new case is a politically motivated
attempt to prevent Zuma from becoming president after elections in
2009.
The ANC has named Zuma as the party's candidate to succeed Mbeki
when his two terms as president expire at next year's general
elections, which the party was expected to win.
The charges against Zuma relate mainly to his relationship with
his crooked former financial adviser, Schabir Shaik.
Shaik is currently serving a 15-year sentence for corruption and
fraud in relation to the arms deal, including soliciting a
500,000-rand-a-year (70,000-dollar-a-year) bribe from the French arms
manufacturer Thint on Zuma's behalf.
Parts of Pietermaritzburg have been brought to a standstill for
the trial with taxi associations suspending operations and schools
closing in a sign of support for Zuma.
More Zuma supporters were expected to pour into the city Monday
from across the country to root for their man as part of a mass
mobilization aimed at putting pressure on the state to abandon its
case.
A defeat in Pietermaritzburg would still not mean Zuma would
necessarily end up in the dock. His attorney has already said he
would appeal to the Constitutional Court if the court finds against
Zuma.
If the appeal fails, Zuma would likely seek a permanent stay of
prosecution on the basis of the delay in bringing him to trial.
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