Former South African president Jacob Zuma will be questioned on Monday, Reuters reported. South Africa’s deputy chief justice, Raymond Zondo, held its first hearing in August and is due to finish next year.
The 77-year-old Zuma was ousted by the governing African National Congress (ANC) in February 2018, one year after has to respond to the allegations on corruption and influence senior government appointments during his nine years in power.
Zuma’s lawyer said in a letter to the inquiry last month that Zuma believed it was prejudiced against him.
On Monday, Mr Zuma will be questioned at a public inquiry into state graft. Raymond Zondo, deputy chief justice, has a long list of questions regarding allegations that the ex-president allowed cronies to plunder state treasure.
Jacob Zuma has finished his long political career in 2018 when he was ousted by the governing ANC. It is not the first time when the veteran politician has been in court to clear the corruption charges. One of such cases was linked to a deal to buy military hardware for the armed forces in the 1990s.
For South Africa, it is a rare example of a national leader being brought to book soon after losing power. The ex-president is expected to give evidence from Monday to Friday, testimony that will be broadcast live on South African television to millions of viewers.
Cyril Ramaphosa insists on Zuma’s inquiry
Cyril Ramaphosa, Zuma’s former deputy, feared scandals surrounding Zuma could tarnish the ruling ANC’s reputation indelibly. After taking office, president Ramaphosa has made sweeping personnel changes in government and state-owned companies as part of an effort to revive the economy and to get rid of corruption.
However, Ramaphosa has been hampered by the lingering influence that Zuma and his allies exert over the ANC’s top decision-making bodies, as well as by the scale of the national crisis he inherited.
