28/12/2007 16:39 JOHANNESBURG, Dec 28 (AFP)
SAfrica's Zuma charged with corruption, fraud
Jacob Zuma, the new leader of South Africa's ruling African National Congress, was on Friday served with papers to appear in court to face corruption charges, his lawyer told AFP.

"Today, 28 December 2007, the Directorate of Special Operations (Scorpions) served on Mr Jacob Zuma an indictment to stand trial in the High Court on various counts of racketeering, money laundering, corruption and fraud," Zuma's attorney Michael Hulley said in an email.

"According to the indictment, which was served on Mr Zuma's Johannesburg residence in his absence, the trial is to proceed on 14 August 2008."

Zuma recently trounced President Thabo Mbeki in a bitter election contest to take over as leader of the ANC, despite having the possibility of being charged with corruption hanging over his head.

Mbeki fired Zuma as deputy head of state in June 2005 after his financial advisor Schabir Shaik was found guilty of soliciting bribes on behalf of the new ANC leader.

Initial corruption charges against Zuma were dropped in September last year when a judge threw them out after it emerged the state did not have enough evidence.

Zuma's supporters have portrayed the investigation, which is centred around a 1999 arms deal, as part of a conspiracy mounted against him by the elite Scorpions police crime-busting unit which was set up by Mbeki.

Hulley said the timing of the indictment was "peculiar" and that it proved the Scorpions were "influenced and their prosecution informed by political considerations."

"The timing of the service of the indictment is calculated to quickly redress the popular support and call to leadership of the ANC which Mr Zuma's election so obviously demonstrates," he said in a press statement.

"These charges will be vigorously defended, in the context of the belief that the Scorpions have acted wrongly and with improper motive calculated to discredit Mr Zuma and ensure that he play no leadership role in the political future of our country."

Normally, as leader of the ruling party, Zuma would be virtually certain to succeed Mbeki as South Africa's president in elections in 2009.



He was first charged in 2005!!

this man is a disgrace...im familiar with his story and Im still shocked that they give him the time of day...sleeping with his play-niece who was infected with aids then turn and tell the world that how he combatted transmission of the disease was through "washing himself after the act"...I thought we was bad...but is always someone else out there that's worse....not that we should dwell on that btw...

Zuma is a disgrace to all africans.
He's been the butt of numerous jokes in south africa.
Its a sad state of affairs when party leaders who are suposed to represent the people are so ignorant.

this man is a disgrace...im familiar with his story and Im still shocked that they give him the time of day...sleeping with his play-niece who was infected with aids then turn and tell the world that how he combatted transmission of the disease was through "washing himself after the act"...I thought we was bad...but is always someone else out there that's worse....not that we should dwell on that btw...


The sad thing is about the washing himself- at that time, he was the chair of the South African AIDS council. I mean, the story does not get any more worse than what it was with that little piece of truth.

Zuma is a man of the people however. And, he is smart enough to know that he cannot run a country- he will hire advisors and this is what sensible people hope of him. However, with hiring advisors, one can run the risk of having too many people that are smarter than you, on the team, and no way of controlling them- they will be too sharp for him to watch.

Developing countries- especially black developing countries- Africa and the Caribbean, should take stock on how "charismatic leaders", win the votes and the hearts of the people by speaking to their emotions and not neccesarily common sense. Because developing country electorates, are for the most part, unaware of the dynamics on the issues for growth and a better life- we vote for the people, who we think symbolize the epitome of getting up out of the mud (so to speak). With that, we look for every other detail that we feel are "good qualities" in leadership- is he a Christian, is he anti-corrupt, is he anti-Gay and so on and so forth. The question still looms however; "Can these people, with this man as their leader, help to feed you and make your economy and public services, run better so that your kids can benefit?"...silence in the crowd when one dares to speak about the issues.

Regardless of what the right winger's say- most of them are from that established, landed elite, who have been having their cake and eating yours and theirs for quite some time now. They have no care in the world to see a level playing field and to them, everything under the sun is honky dory, peachy keen "our cake taste's fine, don't you have any?? Well, go get some for me to have too." Some call it a free society with capitalism- I call it being a disgusting hog. Not until revolution comes to the door knocking, ala majority rule in the Bahamas, Zimbabwe and Cuba, or in Europe with the revolutions- French and Soviet, will people realize that there are other people in this world- who do not have cake, don't like cake and just want to have the choice to have what they want, in their country, when they want.

Now, not saying that Zuma is going to go for broke on the landed elite- in fact, before hand, he has met with a majority of the business leaders in South Africa, so that in the event he wins the Presidency [it] would not "shock" them.
http://www.int.iol.co.za/index.php?set_id=1&click_id=6&art_id=nw20070614140018536C637414
http://www.int.iol.co.za/index.php?set_id=1&click_id=6&art_id=vn20070614015554318C540980

So, while the intelligent of us are out here hitting away at Zuma, saying that the country is going to go to the dogs. The truth is Zuma is operating in a different time and with new and better information, than what leadership even ten years ago was operating with and under. We know the danger of a Zimbabwe type redistributive policy. We know that "business as usual" must be kept to a greater/lesser extent, depending on what that means for South African development. We know that democracy, takes a while to take hold and for progress to affect the masses, is a painstakingly arduous . But, seeing what Zuma has done, even before he won the council leadership, is got the support and the ear of the business elite.

My thing is however, and it may sound strange, is if after he wins the African Presidency, and the people begin to look for overnight changes to their system and way of life, will they in turn not just turn bitter against Zuma, but turn against the entire system and give up hope and give into revolution- Haiti and numerous other Developing countries, are prime examples of when people become fed up with the system, they will take matters into their own hands.

In any event, I would like to say that; yes, it was a good thing for Zuma to meet with the business elite, and "assure" them of stability in his impending rise to the top seat on South Africa. But, he should also have included in the round of talks, liberalization for the monopolies in South Africa through trade and open competition; subsidization, to enhance domestic output to raise low wage earners, to higher productive wage earner levels in conjunction with liberalization and more importantly, social responsibility and the slow opening up of businesses, to the majority who have had their country and their resources, along with their idea's, stolen by basic invaders to be quite fair- remnantes of Aparthied still haunt that country and it's people- white, black and Arab.

The latter has started to happen without Zuma's direct leadership, as Sasol, a South African mining company, has began the process of allowing blacks the opportunity to take part in shares in the company-http://www.fin24.co.za/articles/default/display_article.aspx?ArticleId=1518-24_2187476

This is not the "sexiest" of moves- hand-outs, freebie's and black's only want what they don't want to work for. But, the power elite do this for themselves all the time; from leveraged buy-outs, private equity support and venture capital for their friends with no questions asked to what will happen to this money- working in Goldman Sachs, you see alot of crap go on that would make you shoot every single leader in that firm, from the mailroom supervisor, straight up to the CEO.

The truth is anyways, if we as human beings have in fact learned from our mistakes, is that if you do not find a way to give some of what you "earned" back to the people who's support you depend on, then, people will find a way to take it and destroy the entire system in the process- they may or may not know any better, but, does it matter?

Mandela did a fantastic job to not take further what he was trying to do in his younger days. Mbeki did a good job in balancing the power between the elite and the masses- he was resented for being too aloof and not doing enough "redistribution". Zuma is on the oposite end of Mbkei and on the left side of Mandela. For this, South African's have been leaving their country, heading back to Europe where their anscestors came from- this is even before Zuma will eventually win the African Presidency- I thought they liked Mbkeki.

Do they see the writing on the wall? Perhaps! South African friends of mine are already saying that "their country is going down the tubes". Don't they believe in democracy like what is wanted for Pakistan? Can't they see that the "people" want Zuma? And all of these charges and scandals against Zuma, are just lie's and a last ditch attempt from the people who hate him, trying to tear Zuma down and break them up from their man? ...*snicker, snicker... giggle, giggle*....

But, regardless of where they turn to- Europe, America or stick in South Africa- they will have to learn to play ball with everyone on the team. This is the way the world must turn from here on in. It's for the best.

Violence in South Africa is up and and at the same time the economy is growing at a nice clip.

Persons who watch international markets have had their eye on SA for some time (as they as sitting on commodity heaven).

Lest hope they get the violence under control. I think they will.

....
Developing countries- especially black developing countries- Africa and the Caribbean, should take stock on how "charismatic leaders", win the votes and the hearts of the people by speaking to their emotions and not neccesarily common sense.

Because developing country electorates, are for the most part, unaware of the dynamics on the issues for growth and a better life- we vote for the people, who we think symbolize the epitome of getting up out of the mud (so to speak).

With that, we look for every other detail that we feel are "good qualities" in leadership- is he a Christian, is he anti-corrupt, is he anti-Gay and so on and so forth. The question still looms however; "Can these people, with this man as their leader, help to feed you and make your economy and public services, run better so that your kids can benefit?"...silence in the crowd when one dares to speak about the issues.
....


Round robin,

I have not read all of your post (yet) but I agree with you on the part I quoted here.

Round robin,
I have not read all of your post (yet) but I agree with you on the part I quoted here.


That was just the warm up to thye good bit's. LOL...finish it at your time.
:)

(found the smilies)

That was just the warm up to thye good bit's. LOL...finish it at your time.
:)
(found the smilies)

thx for the insight.