By Myriam Clerge
Impunity Watch Reporter, Eastern and Southern Africa

JOHANNESBURG, South Africa – South Africa starts the New Year off to a rough patch as newly elected African National Congress (ANC) leader, Jacob Zuma, is charged with corruption. Zuma has maintained his innocence since talks began that the prosecution had enough evidence to reinstate the corruption charges, in connection with an arms deal dating about a decade ago. Zuma faces charges of corruption, fraud, money laundering and racketeering, and will stand trial in August.

The fight for the ANC leadership was fierce and bitter as Zuma, who served as Deputy President under Thabo Mbeki, went head to head with his former boss, a veteran of the fight against apartheid. In the end, Zuma came out victorious beating Mbeki with more than 800 votes.

Taking into consideration Kenya’s reaction to the 27 December presidential election that has left more than 300 dead, Zuma has urged his supporters, angered by the corruption charges, to refrain from any violence. Zuma was quoted as saying, there should not be “any violence or burning of property, or anything like that… there are other ways, legal ways, with which to deal with such matters.”

The announcement that Zuma would be charged for corruption has withered the already fragile truce, between himself and Mbeki. Zuma insisted that he will only relinquish his post if he is found guilty in court. Given the ANC’s massive electoral majority and the end of Mbeki’s term in 2009, Zuma is expected to sail into the South African President seat.

However, if Zuma is ultimately convicted, Kgalema Motlanthe will take the position as the ANC’s new deputy leader, thus making him the frontrunner to succeed Thabo Mbeki as South African president in 2009. Zuma’s supporters, which include the Congress of South African Trade Unions, believe that the charges are politically motivated in a ruthless campaign by opponents designed to ruin him.

For more information please see:

BBC – South Africa Faces Turbulent 2008 – 7 January 2008

Yahoo News – South Africa’s ruling party begins meeting on Zuma’s graft charge -7 January 2008

Yahoo News – South Africa’s ANC to discuss Zuma graft case – 6 January 2008