Former South African president Jacob Zuma will face a public inquiry into state graft on Monday to respond to accusations of widespread corruption in the country’s leadership, reported BBC. He is set to testify from Monday to Friday at the public hearings led by deputy chief justice Raymond Zondo. The testimony will be broadcast live on South African television.
Zuma will appear before the commission set up to investigate state capture during his time in office. Over the past year, this commission, chaired by Raymond Zondo, has heard from a number of ministers, elected officials, businessmen and senior civil servants who came under scanner on corruption charges.
Zuma has been implicated by at least five witnesses. State capture is a term used to describe a form of corruption in which big business companies and politicians conspire to influence a country’s decision-making process to advance their own interests.
The 77-year-old former head of state is suspected of illegally allotting public contracts and giving undue advantages to the Gupta family. Zuma was ousted by the governing African National Congress (ANC) in February 2018. He was succeeded by Cyril Ramaphosa.
Zuma previously slammed the state capture inquiry as politicized, partial, biased against him and controlled by shadowy forces. He insisted there was no evidence that he’s done anything wrong. last month, his lawyer said in a letter to the inquiry saying that Zuma believed it was prejudiced against him.
Security outside the Zondo commission’s premises in Parktown, Johannesburg, has been increased as hundreds of Zuma’s supporters are expected to gather around the premises. Around 1,000 Zuma supporters from KwaZulu-Natal are expected to descend on Johannesburg on Monday after being bused in to show support for their leader.
