Jacob Zuma

Jacob Zuma is the current President of the Republic of South Africa, and  leader of the governing African National Congress (ANC). Between 1999 and 2005 he served as South Africa's Deputy President and member of the National Assembly of Parliament until his dismissal on allegations of corruption in an arms deal. The South African Arms Deal was a US$4.8 billion (ZAR30 billion in 1999 ) purchase of weaponry. One of Zuma's associates, by the name of Schabir Shaik, who acted as his financial advisor, was charged and convicted on two charges of corruption and one of fraud and sentenced to an effective 15 years' imprisonment in 2005. 1 Zuma's alleged involvement in the arms deal and other related corrupt practices has been a matter of ongoing political and legal controversy. Allegations of political persecution and power struggles within the ruling party reached a climax when the National Prosecuting Authority (NPA) reopened criminal proceedings against Mr Zuma in December 2007, a day after Zuma won the leadership of the ANC in a vote contested by the then President, Mr Thabo Mbeki. The High Court ruled in September 2008 in favour of Mr Zuma, setting aside a decision by the National Director of Public Prosecutions (NDPP) to indict him and citing political interference by the executive. This outcome led to the forced resignation of  President Thabo Mbeki.  In January 2009 the Supreme Court of Appeal overturned the earlier decision of the High Court, paving the way for the reopening of the case against Mr Zuma.  By March 2009, there was speculation that the NPA might drop the charges  well before the presidential elections then set down for April 2009. On 6 April 2009 the NPA dropped the charges, citing political influence on the timing the charges were made.