Zille urges state to attach Zuma’s pension fund for legal fees
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South Africa’s government is pressing to reclaim R28.9m ($1.6m) in legal costs paid from public funds to defend former President Jacob Zuma in corruption cases tied to a 1999 arms deal. A 2024 Supreme Court of Appeal ruling declared these payments unlawful, as the charges were personal, not official.
The Gauteng High Court in Pretoria is now hearing the state’s bid to enforce repayment, with interest, from Mr. Zuma, who led the country from 2009 to 2018 and now heads the uMkhonto weSizwe (MK) Party.Helen Zille, chairperson of the Democratic Alliance’s federal council, has urged the state to attach Mr. Zuma’s presidential pension (estimated at R3.1m annually) if he fails to comply.
The case stems from a long-running saga over the arms deal, which has dogged Mr. Zuma for decades. The state argues that the funds were misallocated, while Mr. Zuma’s lawyers assert that seizing his pension would breach constitutional protections. His legal team, led by advocate Dali Mpofu, contends that he lacks the means to repay, citing limited assets and health concerns at age 83. During a hearing on October 16th, the presiding judge, Bashier Mussa, questioned the feasibility of full pension attachment, asking how Mr. Zuma would sustain himself.
The Democratic Alliance, an amicus curiae in the case, insists that recovery is essential to safeguard public finances. Public sentiment, reflected in online platforms, is divided along standard partisan lines. Some applaud Ms. Zille’s push for accountability, many even delighting in the personal nature of the retribution for a man who is widely recognised to have been severely corrupt and to have had a thoroughly negative effect on the body politic. Zuma’s supporters see it as politically charged, noting Mr. Zuma’s claims of past state persecution.
The court’s next ruling, expected soon, may clarify whether pension attachment is viable or if alternative repayment terms will apply. Meanwhile, Mr. Zuma’s separate arms deal trial is set to resume in April 2025, potentially complicating matters further.
This could cut both ways – if Zuma is not sufficiently hobbled by his current legal troubles, such moves could mobilise his base for the upcoming local elections. But if it is as disruptive as it seems on the face of it, it may well test the loyalty of his supporters who will likely be asked to cough up to maintain stability in the RET faction of the liberation movement.
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