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Supreme Court rules against Zuma, but he remains ANC presidential candidate

Article published on the 2009-01-12 Latest update 2009-01-12 11:04 TU

Jacob Zuma (right) with South African President Kgalema Motlanthe (left) in East London.(Photo: Reuters)

Jacob Zuma (right) with South African President Kgalema Motlanthe (left) in East London.
(Photo: Reuters)

Jacob Zuma, the head of the African National Congress party in South Africa has lost a court ruling, which means he could be charged again with corruption and fraud.

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Supreme Court Judge Louis Harms gave the verdict Monday, overturning the lower High Court ruling which had dismissed the charges.

The case against Zuma includes 16 charges of corruption, money-laundering and racketeering related to a 3.7 billion euro arms deal with a subsidiary of the French company Thales.

The ANC said Monday that despite the ruling, Zuma will remain as their party’s presidential candidate in this year’s elections.

“The judgment will not affect the decision of the ANC that Zuma be the ANC’s presidential candidate for the 2009 elections,” they said in a statement.

The charges had been dismissed on a technicality in September, but in this new ruling the Supreme Court said that High Court Judge Chris Nicholson had overstepped the limits of his authority by suggesting that there may have been political interference.

This suggestion of interference led to the resignation of the President, Thabo Mbeki, and appointment of Kgalema Motlanthe, a close ANC ally to replace him.

Zuma has support from within his party and from trade unions, and his supporters say the charges were an attempt to prevent him from becoming President.

But he has had a number of brushes with the law. In 2005 he was sacked as South Africa’s deputy-President after his financial adviser was convicted of soliciting bribes on his behalf.

That case collapsed in 2006, but he was also charged with rape at the end of 2005, before being acquitted the following year.

The verdict comes two days after Zuma officially launched the ANC campaign for this year’s election.

“Comrades, it is my honour and privilege to officially launch the 2009 ANC Election Manifesto,” he told a crowd in East London, in the south of the country.

The election is expected to take place between April and June.