South African President Jacob Zuma (pictured) recently said that he is not afraid to go to jail, according to the BBC, while on a visit to his home province of Kwa-Zulu Natal.
Saturday was Zuma’s first public appearance since the release of the much-anticipated “State of Capture” report by former Public Prosecutor Thulisela Madonsela.
“”I’m not afraid of jail. I’ve been to jail during the struggle,” President Zuma said, referring to the Apartheid era.
Zuma, who is the current president of the ruling African National Congress (ANC) party, was arrested between 1963 and 1973 for conspiring to overthrow the Apartheid government.
In fact, he was among the notable ANC leaders, such as the late-Nelson Mandela, who were incarcerated at Robben Island.
Zuma, who previously opposed the publication of the report, only bowed to pressure from the citizens and courts last week.
The “State Capture” report investigates the unusual relationship between the President and the Gupta family, where the latter appears to have an unconstitutional role in the appointment and removal of cabinet ministers and directors of state corporations.
The 355-page report further investigates why the Guptas have been awarded state contracts and recommends that the President appoint a commission of inquiry to investigate the accusations leveled in the report.
President Zuma has been dogged by scandal ever since it was revealed that he used public money to renovate his home in Nklanda in 2014. It was also discovered that he misappropriated public funds to buy luxury vehicles for his four wives.
