Guardian pays Zuma damages

SOUTH African president Jacob Zuma accepted “very substantial damages” from Britain’s Guardian newspaper over an article that wrongly suggested he was a rapist, his lawyers said yesterday.

The March article, headlined “Get used to a corrupt and chaotic South Africa. But don’t write it off” also alleged Zuma was guilty of corruption and bribery arising out of his involvement in a $5 billion arms deal.

His lawyer Jenny Afia told London’s High Court the allegations were “of the utmost seriousness and totally untrue.”