CASPER
New member
South African prosecutors drop case against Zuma
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
PRETORIA, South Africa – Prosecutors dropped corruption charges against Jacob Zuma on Monday, saying the case had been manipulated for political reasons and clearing the way for him to become the next president without the looming threat of a criminal trial.
Zuma's governing African National Congress hailed the announcement as a victory — though the question of Zuma's guilt or innocence remained open in the minds of some in South Africa. Zuma is the ANC's presidential candidate in April 22 elections and is almost certain to win given the party's dominance.
Prosecutors said Monday they remained convinced their case against Zuma was strong, and that they were withdrawing it only because the process was tainted.
Zuma has maintained he was the victim of a political conspiracy by rivals within the ANC and innocent of accusations he accepted bribes to thwart an investigation into wrongdoing by a French arms company involved in a massive weapons deal in the late 1990s.
Gwede Mantashe, the ANC's secretary general, told reporters after the prosecutor's announcement that Zuma should now be seen as free of suspicion.
"There are no allegations" against him, Mantashe said. "They have been withdrawn this morning by the people who laid the charges."
There was no immediate reaction from Zuma, who did not appear at an ANC news conference.
Prosecutors said they would not revive the charges in the future — but noted individuals could file civil cases.
Mokotedi Mpshe, acting director of public prosecutions, said Monday that key prosecutors had abused their powers in pursuing the case against the 66-year-old former guerrilla leader by trying to time an announcement of charges against him with a key ANC conference in late 2007, presumably to undermine his bid to become party president.
Zuma won the leadership race at that conference, and two days later Mpshe said he had enough evidence to try Zuma. On Monday, Mpshe said he had been unaware in 2007 of attempts to manipulate the case.
"An intolerable abuse of process has occurred which requires discontinuation of the prosecution," Mpshe said at a packed news conference that was broadcast nationwide.
Mpshe's decision followed a lengthy review of taped phone conversations between prosecutors discussing the announcement timing first brought to Mpshe's attention by Zuma's legal team. It was unclear how Zuma's team obtained the recordings, but Mpshe said prosecutors determined they were authentic.
Hundreds of Zuma supporters waved ANC flags in a downtown Johannesburg square after Mpshe's announcement, dancing and singing to Zuma's theme song, "Bring Me My Machine Gun."
Mantashe, the ANC's secretary general, told reporters at party headquarters in downtown Johannesburg: "This decision is a victory for the rule of law, decency and common sense."
The presidential candidate for COPE, a recently formed political party that broke away from the ANC, said prosecutors should have gone forward with the case.
"We still have not heard about the merits or the demerits of the case against Mr. Zuma. The South African people want to know: Is he innocent or is he guilty?" COPE's Mvume Dandala said.
Even before Monday's decision, a case pending since at least 2003 had not appeared to hurt Zuma among his base — impoverished black South Africans who embrace him as a man they believe understands their struggle.
Born in the rural Zulu heartland, he joined the ANC in 1959 and was arrested in 1963, convicted of conspiring to overthrow the white-minority government and sentenced to 10 years on Robben Island, the same prison where Nelson Mandela spent so many years. He left South Africa in 1975 and spent 12 years in exile.
In 2006, Zuma was acquitted of raping a family friend. He outraged AIDS activists by testifying that he had unprotected, consensual sex with the HIV-positive woman and then took a shower in the belief that it would protect him from the virus.
Former President Thabo Mbeki fired Zuma as his deputy because of the corruption scandal, but Zuma bounced back. The Zuma-led ANC forced Mbeki to resign as national president last September. Prosecutors said Monday they had found no evidence Mbeki was behind the attempt to manipulate the Zuma case. But Zuma allies called for an investigation into the former president's possible involvement. Mbeki would have no comment, spokesman Mukoni Ratshitanga said.
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
PRETORIA, South Africa – Prosecutors dropped corruption charges against Jacob Zuma on Monday, saying the case had been manipulated for political reasons and clearing the way for him to become the next president without the looming threat of a criminal trial.
Zuma's governing African National Congress hailed the announcement as a victory — though the question of Zuma's guilt or innocence remained open in the minds of some in South Africa. Zuma is the ANC's presidential candidate in April 22 elections and is almost certain to win given the party's dominance.
Prosecutors said Monday they remained convinced their case against Zuma was strong, and that they were withdrawing it only because the process was tainted.
Zuma has maintained he was the victim of a political conspiracy by rivals within the ANC and innocent of accusations he accepted bribes to thwart an investigation into wrongdoing by a French arms company involved in a massive weapons deal in the late 1990s.
Gwede Mantashe, the ANC's secretary general, told reporters after the prosecutor's announcement that Zuma should now be seen as free of suspicion.
"There are no allegations" against him, Mantashe said. "They have been withdrawn this morning by the people who laid the charges."
There was no immediate reaction from Zuma, who did not appear at an ANC news conference.
Prosecutors said they would not revive the charges in the future — but noted individuals could file civil cases.
Mokotedi Mpshe, acting director of public prosecutions, said Monday that key prosecutors had abused their powers in pursuing the case against the 66-year-old former guerrilla leader by trying to time an announcement of charges against him with a key ANC conference in late 2007, presumably to undermine his bid to become party president.
Zuma won the leadership race at that conference, and two days later Mpshe said he had enough evidence to try Zuma. On Monday, Mpshe said he had been unaware in 2007 of attempts to manipulate the case.
"An intolerable abuse of process has occurred which requires discontinuation of the prosecution," Mpshe said at a packed news conference that was broadcast nationwide.
Mpshe's decision followed a lengthy review of taped phone conversations between prosecutors discussing the announcement timing first brought to Mpshe's attention by Zuma's legal team. It was unclear how Zuma's team obtained the recordings, but Mpshe said prosecutors determined they were authentic.
Hundreds of Zuma supporters waved ANC flags in a downtown Johannesburg square after Mpshe's announcement, dancing and singing to Zuma's theme song, "Bring Me My Machine Gun."
Mantashe, the ANC's secretary general, told reporters at party headquarters in downtown Johannesburg: "This decision is a victory for the rule of law, decency and common sense."
The presidential candidate for COPE, a recently formed political party that broke away from the ANC, said prosecutors should have gone forward with the case.
"We still have not heard about the merits or the demerits of the case against Mr. Zuma. The South African people want to know: Is he innocent or is he guilty?" COPE's Mvume Dandala said.
Even before Monday's decision, a case pending since at least 2003 had not appeared to hurt Zuma among his base — impoverished black South Africans who embrace him as a man they believe understands their struggle.
Born in the rural Zulu heartland, he joined the ANC in 1959 and was arrested in 1963, convicted of conspiring to overthrow the white-minority government and sentenced to 10 years on Robben Island, the same prison where Nelson Mandela spent so many years. He left South Africa in 1975 and spent 12 years in exile.
In 2006, Zuma was acquitted of raping a family friend. He outraged AIDS activists by testifying that he had unprotected, consensual sex with the HIV-positive woman and then took a shower in the belief that it would protect him from the virus.
Former President Thabo Mbeki fired Zuma as his deputy because of the corruption scandal, but Zuma bounced back. The Zuma-led ANC forced Mbeki to resign as national president last September. Prosecutors said Monday they had found no evidence Mbeki was behind the attempt to manipulate the Zuma case. But Zuma allies called for an investigation into the former president's possible involvement. Mbeki would have no comment, spokesman Mukoni Ratshitanga said.
