Embattled Jacob Zuma vows that ‘truth will prevail’ in arms deal saga

Durban – As former President Jacob Zuma’s corruption case continues on Tuesday at the Pietermaritzburg High Court, he is hoping that the “truth is mighty and will prevail” as his last Tweet posted last week says.

Zuma took to Twitter last week posting a picture of former Brazilian president Luiz Inácio Lula da Silva and captioned it with the Latin phrase “Magna est veritas et praevalebit” which means ‘Truth is mighty and will prevail’.

Lula is currently serving a 12-year jail sentence for corruption. Zuma’s message of support to his former BRICS counterpart comes in the wake of Lula’s refusal to apply for home detention and instead opted to remain behind bars to continue his bid to clear his name.

Zuma’s own legal woes are set to continue after the Pietermaritzburg High Court on Friday ruled that Zuma must face a corruption charge after he had applied to the court for a permanent stay of prosecution. He believed that there had been unnecessary delays and political interference in the case.

On Friday, a full bench of the high court dismissed the application for a permanent stay of prosecution by Zuma and his co-accused French arms firm Thales with costs.

At a high court appearance earlier this year, Zuma told his supporters that he had to sell his socks and hats to pay his legal fees.

He is facing 16 charges of corruption, money laundering and racketeering relating to 783 payments Zuma is alleged to have received from his former financial advisor Schabir Shaik in the period from 1996 to 2005 in the Arms Deal saga.

Zuma’s trial begins on Tuesday and is set to sit until Friday and it remains unclear whether Zuma and his legal team, led by his attorney Daniel Mantsha, will decide to appeal Friday’s ruling or not. IOL