Chaos as Zuma visits varsity

Students – all members of the EFF and the ANC – hurled insults at each other and traded blows in a chaotic build-up to President Jacob Zuma’s visit to the Tshwane University of Technology yesterday.

DA leader Mmusi Maimane said yesterday President Jacob Zuma’s disparaging utterances about opposition parties would not stop their attempt to have corruption charges reinstated against him.

Zuma argued in court papers fi led on Monday that the bid was doomed because the original corruption case was a political witch-hunt.

Maimane said Zuma could say whatever he wanted but the DA would not rest until he had his day in court.

“The National Prosecuting Authority ( NPA) had charged him for corruption, racketeering and money laundering.

“If they think Zuma did not do anything wrong, they must produce evidence and present it in court,” said Maimane.

United Democratic Movement leader Bantu Holomisa tweeted: “Zuma lawyer says fraud and corruption case is dead and buried. Should we allow him to use taxes to defend himself?”

In heads of argument submitted to the North Gauteng High Court in Pretoria, Zuma said the DA’s application for a review of the withdrawal of the case in 2009 was likewise politically motivated.

He said it was also deeply flawed because it ignored the extent to which the decision to halt his prosecution was based on the NPA’s concerns that the legal process had been abused for political ends.

Then acting NPA head Mokotedi Mpshe withdrew more than 700 charges stemming from the 1999 arms deal shortly before the 2009 national elections, paving the way for Zuma to become president. It sparked a legal challenge by the DA that has spanned more than six years.

The NPA had charged him. If they think Zuma didn’t do anything wrong they must produce evidence Mmusi Maimane DA leader