Zuma defies corruption claims

New ANC leader Jacob Zuma challenged prosecutors to take him to court after they claimed they had enough evidence to bring corruption charges against him today.

The head of the country’s national prosecuting authority Mokotedi Mpshe said the next step in their investigation would be announced in the New Year.

“The type of evidence we have so far can be taken to court,” said Mr Mpshe, who is investigating allegations Mr Zuma accepted bribes of nearly €387,000 from the French arms company Thint to stop investigations into a multi-billion-dollar arms deal.

But Mr Zuma, favourite to become the country’s next president, complained that he was being tried in the media.

“There was an investigation which was conducted publicly against me, I was threatened to be charged in public, there were things said about me by those investigating,” he said. “My problem was, why are these things being said in public? If I have a case to answer, then take me to court.”

Mr Zuma has consistently denied the allegations and said he is being pursued by prosecutors for political reasons.

Earlier he had used his first public speech since becoming head of the African National Congress on Tuesday to pledge to work smoothly with President Thabo Mbeki, the man he defeated in the bitter contest to lead the governing ANC.

Mr Zuma, whose political career so far has managed to survive sex and corruption scandals, told delegates to the ANC national conference he and Mr Mbeki “will develop smooth working relations.”

Mr Zuma had rallied ANC members who wanted a change from Mr Mbeki.

Much has been made of the personality and class differences between the two. Mr Mbeki is a foreign-educated academic who sprinkles his speeches with Shakespeare. Mr Zuma had little formal schooling, was a leader of the exiled ANC’s military wing, and, like former President Nelson Mandela, served time at the Robben Island prison.

Mr Mbeki fired Mr Zuma as the country’s deputy president in 2005 after his financial adviser was convicted of trying to elicit a bribe to deflect investigations into the arms deal – the same one Mr Mpshe said today he had enough evidence to take back to court.

In his speech today Mr Zuma also addressed questions over his economic policies, amid fears he would veer sharply to the left because of pressure from poor blacks and the union and Communist Party officials who backed his bid for ANC leadership.

He said he had a mandate to strengthen the ANC’s historic alliance with the Communist Party and trade unions.