I'll expose everybody - Zuma

2008-08-05 21:02

Pietermaritzburg - African National Congress president Jacob Zuma on Tuesday vowed he would take down other officials if the state continued to pursue him for alleged corruption in South Africa's multi-billion rand arms deal.

Speaking at the end of a two-day court hearing on the legality of corruption, fraud, racketeering and money laundering charges laid against him last year, Zuma told his supporters that the "whole truth" about the arms deal might be revealed if he were put on trial.

"Thirty million, thirty million," the crowd chanted in response, referring to a weekend report alleging President Thabo Mbeki had taken money from a German arms dealer on behalf of the ANC.

Zuma on Monday applied to the Pietermaritzburg High Court to have the charges against him quashed because he wasn't given the opportunity to make representations in the case before he was indicted.

Judgement reserved

Judge Chris Nicholson reserved judgement in the application until September 12.

The main case has provisionally been set down for December 8.

Addressing about 2 000 people crammed into a square opposite the courthouse, Zuma slammed the media for accusing him of using delaying tactics to stave off his day in court.

Speaking in Zulu he said he was only exercising his constitutional rights by challenging the State's case in several courts before it went to trial.

He added, however, that he had not ruled out the possibility that he might go to jail, saying he would serve any jail term should he be convicted.

"In 1963, while fighting for freedom that we now enjoy, I was wrongly charged, convicted and imprisoned for 10 years by a judge.

"We might see a repeat of that situation as they can still wrongly convict me even though I [know I] am innocent," Zuma said. He added that he "is not afraid of anything".

Politically inspired

Zuma's supporters allege that the case against him is merely a politically-inspired attempt to bar him from becoming president in 2009.

The ANC has named Zuma as their candidate to succeed Mbeki when his second term expires at next year's general elections.

Some of Zuma's supporters point the finger for his prosecution directly at Mbeki, who lost the ANC presidency to Zuma in December last year.

"We're convinced that this conspiracy is being led by the (state) president against our president," Julius Malema, the firebrand leader of the ANC Youth League, said.

"Before you go to him you must kill the youth of this country.

"We're prepared to die for Zuma," said Malema, who recently declared he would "kill" for Zuma.

In a sign of the animosity among Zuma supporters towards Mbeki, one youth torched a photo of Mbeki at Tuesday's rally. - dpa / Bheki Mbanjwa, The Witness

- DPA