Offers of donations pour in for Jacob Zuma
A PRETORIA High Court judgment has prompted former president Jacob Zuma’s supporters to raise funds to help him pay the R10million in legal fees he incurred when he unsuccessfully tried to block the state capture report.
Zuma supporters said yesterday that they would “die where Zuma dies”, as he was their champion of radical economic transformation (RET).
The court ruled Zuma should pay the R10m legal bill he incurred when he tried to halt former public protector Thuli Madonsela from releasing the State of Capture report, and later tried to have this report reviewed.
The National Funeral Practitioners Association of South Africa (Nafupa) claimed to have received a number of calls from people who wanted to donate money in the wake of the ruling.
Nafupa organised night vigils outside the Pietermaritzburg High Court when Zuma appeared for arms dealrelated charges of fraud, corruption, money laundering and racketeering.
“There have been sentiments expressed by pro-Zuma organisations and individual leaders of RET, but there have not yet been formal decisions,” said Nafupa national secretary Nkosenhle Shezi.
He said Nafupa expected the JG Zuma Foundation to provide a bank account for donations.
Shezi said his organisation would support Zuma financially because he had been involved in state capture as an elected leader of government.
“You cannot have someone serving the country for so many years, only to be rewarded by being forced to pay such a huge amount of money.
“As his supporters we will always be there for him, since his troubles are our troubles. His attack is a reversal of our struggle, and his legal troubles are a symbol of our attack,” said Shezi.
Black First Land First (BLF) leader, Andile Mngxitama, a regular speaker at the Pietermaritzburg court night vigils, said his organisation would raise funds for Zuma. “It is important that all of us who support Zuma defend him by going out to raise these resources to pay for his legal fees, which he should not be paying anyway,” he said.