FORMER president Jacob Zuma will be prosecuted on 16 charges of corruption, the director of South Africa’s National Prosecuting Authority said.
Shaun Abrahams announced that Zuma will face charges including fraud, corruption, racketeering and money laundering.
Zuma, 75, resigned as president last month after he was ordered to do so by his party, the African National Congress.
The charges stem from a $2.5 billion government arms purchase in the 1999, when Zuma was deputy president. He was elected president in 2009.
“After consideration of the matter, I am of the view that there are reasonable prospects of a successful prosecution of Mr Zuma on the charges listed in the indictment,” Abrahams said.
He said there were 16 counts against Zuma, and the former president had said he was a victim of misconduct by prosecutors as well as leaks to the media.
“Mr Zuma, in addition, disputes all the allegations against him and records that he lacked the requisite intention to commit any of the crimes listed in the indictment,” said Abrahams, who faced calls to resign for allegedly declining to move against Zuma when he was in office.
Zuma was replaced as president by his deputy, Cyril Ramaphosa.
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