Zuma told: You're fired

2005-06-14 11:17

Pretoria - Deputy president Jacob Zuma has been told he is to be fired, a source close to Zuma said on Tuesday.

The Reuters news agency reported that a source - who declined to be identified - said Zuma had been told he would be dismissed, and President Thabo Mbeki would give further explanation in a televised speech to parliament scheduled for 14:00 on Tuesday.

In further developments Sapa reported that President Mbeki has cancelled his trip to the G77 Summit in Qatar in order to meet commitments in South Africa.

"The president will no longer be attending the G77 summit in Doha, Qatar as he will be briefing parliament this afternoon and also giving a speech on June 16 in Kimberley," presidential spokesperson Bheki Khumalo said on Tuesday.

Mbeki is to address a special joint sitting of the National Assembly and the National Council of Provinces to "deal with issues arising from the judgment of Judge Hilary Squires" concerning the political future of deputy president Jacob Zuma.

"The president has never missed a national day since he took office and the June 16 function in Kimberley will be no different," Khumalo said.

Khumalo said deputy foreign affairs minister Aziz Pahad would be attending the G77 summit where relations between countries in the southern hemisphere were to be discussed.

Last week Judge Hilary Squires sentenced Durban businessman Schabir Shaik, who acted as financial adviser to Zuma, to 15 years in prison for fraud and corruption.

- News24