Jacob Zuma: I Am Ready to Prove My Innocence in Court

South Africa’s ruling African National Congress party president Jacob Zuma has said that he was ready to prove his innocence when his corruption trial resumes next Monday in his country’s Pietermaritzburg High Court.

“I’m more than ready to defend myself and prove my innocence”, he told a packed press conference late Tuesday in the Mozambican capital Maputo.

Zuma became embroiled in a corruption related controversy after his financial advisor, Schabir Shaik, was convicted of corruption and fraud, leading to Zuma’s dismissal by President Thabo Mbeki as deputy president of South Africa in June 2005.

In the aftermath of the Shaik trial Zuma was formally charged with corruption by the National Prosecuting Authority.

“If there are charges that the state thinks need to be answered, no citizen can refuse, (and) under the rule of law. We cannot say that there is any citizen who cannot be taken to court”, Zuma said.

The ANC has declared to support him in his bid to have the corruption trial declared invalid.

Zuma said the trial will not affect his party campaign on the run-up to the 2009 presidential and parliamentary elections.

“The trial will not affect the ANC at all. It will affect a citizen of South Africa who is not above the Constitution,” he said.

Source African Press Agency

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