Reinstate corruption charges against Zuma – deputy minister in Cabinet

Durban – A top SA Communist Party and Cabinet member has urged that arms deal corruption charges be reinstated against President Jacob Zuma.

SACP deputy general secretary and deputy Public Works Minister Jeremy Cronin told The Mercury newspaper on Sunday that the 783 charges against Zuma should be reinstated so that the president can clear his name.

Cronin said that as long as the charges “hang over him they do impact him”.

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This comes after the High Court in Pretoria ruled that former acting national director of public prosecutions Mokotedi Mpshe acted irrationally in April 2009 when he decided to drop the charges against Zuma.

News24 reported on Friday that the ANC downplayed the ruling, which was a result of the opposition Democratic Alliance’s decision to take the National Prosecuting Authority to court over Mpshe’s decision.

"It is important to note that the court did not deal with the merits of any allegations against President Zuma, nor did it make any finding declaring guilt on any matter against President Zuma," ANC spokesperson Zizi Kodwa said in a statement.

"Today’s judgment was solely a judicial review of an administrative action taken by the NPA as allowed for in our law. We trust that it shall therefore not be used by any in our society to infer any culpability in any crime or offence by the president."

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Mpshe told News24 that he respected the high court’s ruling on his decision.

“The court has spoken. I respect the decision," he told News24 in an SMS.

The 783 charges are a result of the 1999 arms deal.