Jacob Zuma wants a doccie on his rise – and rise

Former president Jacob Zuma is expected to be the focus of a new documentary about his life, exile and rise to leadership.

The Jacob Zuma Foundation has invited service providers to produce the film about the former leader.

“The Jacob G Zuma Foundation invites appropriately skilled and well-resourced local and international service providers, including production companies to compile and produce a comprehensive documentary on H..E President J.G. Zuma,” it said.

However, the foundation has stipulated what the documentary should focus on.

“The documentary should cover no less than the seven topics, including the historiography of President Jacob G. Zuma, mapping it from childhood to early involvement in the struggle for the liberation of the people of South Africa.” The foundation said the documentary should also focus on conditions leading to Zuma’s departure for exile.

“Intense chronological account and narrative of his life in exile, return and role in the re-establishment of the ANC structures in South Africa. Role in the negotiated political settlement in the Republic of South Africa.”

It reiterated that the documentary should highlight Zuma’s rise to the leadership of the ANC and country, “deciphering all critical moments that defined the evolvement of the post-apartheid political economy within the country and how these brought themselves to bear on the African National Congress”.

The foundation did not mention Zuma’s fall from grace, such as his many legal challenges, in the topics that must be included in the documentary.

The closing date for the proposal is 7 October.

Last week, the foundation said it would debunk the “myth” surrounding the charges against the former president.

Zuma faces 16 charges relating to more than 780 payments, totalling R4.1 million, between 1995 and 2004, from his former financial advisor Schabir Shaik and Shaik’s companies, to help French arms company Thales secure lucrative defence contracts from the government as part of the country’s arms deal.

He has pleaded not guilty to the charges against him, including corruption, fraud, racketeering, and money laundering.