Lungani Zungu
Former president Jacob Zuma has pleaded not guilty to all charges presented to him at the start of his fraud and corruption trial currently underway at the Pietermaritzburg High Court.
Zuma is in court to fight for the recusal of state prosecutor Billy Downer, the man who successfully prosecuted his former financial adviser, Schabir Shaik.
Msholozi is represented by Advocate Dali Mpofu after he parted ways with his former legal team led by Advocate Muzi Sikhakhane.
In his special plea for the recusal of Downer, Zuma has claimed that foreign intelligence services may have meddled in his case.
Zuma said he had come across information that former Scorpions head Leonard McCarthy was an operative for the American Central Intelligence Agency (CIA) who he alleged was handled by an agent named André Pienaar.
Many observers have said this was vintage Zuma strategy to again delay the nearly two-decade-old case. Zuma has previously made unsubstantiated allegations that people were “agents” that were subsequently shown to be false.
However, his supporters say the former president had a right to state his misgivings in a court of law.
Despite the raging Covid-19 pandemic, which has killed more than 55,000 South Africans, many Zuma supporters have started streaming into Pietermaritzburg this morning.
Carl Niehaus, Zuma’s long-time loyal backer, said they can’t stop people from supporting Zuma outside court today.
Zuma’s loyal ally, suspended ANC secretary-general Ace Magashule had vowed to bring the whole of the Free State to Pietermaritzburg.
This is a developing story.
Picture source: @DZumaSambudla
