'State must pay Zuma's fees'

2005-08-25 18:32

Johannesburg - The state should be asked to pay Jacob Zuma's legal fees, the tripartite alliance said on Thursday after discussing the controversy about the axed former deputy president the day before.

SA Communist Party general secretary Blade Nzimande said on SABC radio: "We are urging comrade Zuma's lawyers to actually ask the state to fund the cause of his legal defence."

The reason for this was that the allegations against Zuma related to the time when he was an MEC in KwaZulu-Natal and deputy president of the country, he said.

Senior members of the SACP, African National Congress, the Congress of SA Trade Unions (Cosatu) and the SA National Civic Organisation met for several hours on Wednesday to discuss the Zuma saga.

Nzimande said the recent raids by the Scorpions on Zuma's residences also were condemned.

'Weapons unacceptable'

"We outrightly condemn the behaviour of the Scorpions in raiding the homes of the deputy president.

"The brandishing of weapons as if you are looking for a criminal - we think that is unacceptable and, in fact, we think that represents some of the worst features of what the apartheid regime and security forces (did)," he said.

The Scorpions raided Zuma's homes in search of evidence for the charges against him.

On Wednesday, national prosecuting authority head Vusi Pikoli defended the heavily-armed raids, saying they were a normal operational requirement.

Such searches needed to be carried out "without interference".

'Conspiracy' suspected

Pikoli said the purpose of the raid was definitely not to embarrass or humiliate Zuma.

The alliance meeting came after Cosatu's central committee resolved to call on President Thabo Mbeki to ensure corruption charges against Zuma were dropped.

It also wanted Mbeki to reinstate Zuma as his deputy.

Some Cosatu members believe there is a politically inspired conspiracy to stop Zuma from becoming the next president of the ANC because he is seen to be too close to the working class.

Zuma's goes to court again in Durban in October.

- SAPA