Cape Town – Former South African president Jacob Zuma has rejected the findings in the latest state capture inquiry report detailing how a private services company, Bosasa, became enmeshed at the highest levels of government and the ruling African National Congress (ANC).
The report is the third of an expected four volumes written after three years of investigations led by acting chief justice Raymond Zondo.
It was handed over to the presidency on Tuesday.
“Corruption was Bosasa’s way of doing business,” the report said. “It bribed politicians, government officials, President Jacob Zuma and others extensively.”
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The ANC set up its election “war room” in Bosasa’s offices, with Bosasa money, for the 2011, 2014 and 2016 election cycles, the report said.
“Corruption was central to Bosasa’s business model,” the report said. “Everything for the company came down to corruption.”
According to Times Live, in the report’s recommendations, Zondo said there are “reasonable grounds to suspect Zuma’s conduct was in breach of his obligations as president under the constitution, in breach of his obligations under the Executive Ethics Code and in breach of legislation”.
Zondo recommended Zuma be investigated for breach of the Prevention and Combating of Corrupt Activities Act, the report said.
In a statement on Wednesday, the Jacob Zuma Foundation rejected the findings saying:
“It is now well known that H.E President Zuma was denied the opportunity of a neutral platform to put his side of the story in the so-called Zondo Commission.
To : All Media & Interested parties
Subject: Latest State Capture Report
Below please find a self explanatory statement.#WenzenuZuma pic.twitter.com/ZTctZ8rGKS— JGZuma Foundation (Official) (@JGZ_Foundation) March 1, 2022
“The application for the review and setting aside of the refusal by judge Zondo to recuse himself despite the relationship between him and president Zuma… is a matter which is still pending before the courts,” said the foundation.
The foundation said, therefore, that due to these reasons, Zuma “rejects any purported ‘findings’ by judge Zondo, which were made without affording him the most basic human rights to be heard”.
“Zuma strongly believes that justice must be seen to be done. In these circumstances, the findings are obviously not even worth the paper they are written on”.
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The foundation said that Zuma would consult his legal team to discuss the course of action to be taken.
Zuma’s refusal to testify to Zondo’s commission last year resulted in the Constitutional Court ordering him to prison in July for contempt of court.
That sparked protests in July by Zuma’s supporters who spawned riots and looting that left more than 350 dead in the worst violence of the democratic era.
Zuma was released on health grounds after two months.
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Compiled by Betha Madhomu
Additional information by AFP
