Jacob Zuma
Jacob Gedleyihlekisa Zuma (born 12 April 1942) served as President of South Africa from May 2009 until February 2018, when he was recalled by the ANC following Cyril Ramaphosa’s election as ANC president. An anti-apartheid veteran who served as ANC Head of Intelligence in exile, his presidency is synonymous with “state capture” — the systematic looting of state resources centred on the Gupta Family and enabled by networks including Bosasa (African Global Operations). The Zondo Commission found that state capture took place “on an extensive scale” during his nine-year presidency.
Zuma faces 16 criminal charges arising from the 1999 South African Arms Deal: 2 corruption, 1 racketeering, 1 money laundering, 12 fraud. His financial adviser Schabir Shaik was convicted in June 2005 of paying Zuma R1.28 million between 1995–2002 and facilitating R500,000 annual payments from French arms company Thales. Charges against Zuma were first laid in 2005, dropped in April 2009 citing the “Spy Tapes” (NIA recordings allegedly leaked by Arthur Fraser implicating the Scorpions’ leadership in a political conspiracy), and reinstated in March 2018. The trial continues.
More than 40 witnesses at the Zondo Commission personally implicated Zuma. Key findings: the Gupta brothers influenced cabinet appointments with Zuma’s knowledge; Dudu Myeni acted as conduit for Bosasa’s R300,000/month payments to Zuma; the State Security Agency (SSA) under Arthur Fraser was weaponised to fund ANC political activities and undermine Ramaphosa’s 2017 ANC campaign; Zuma allegedly received personal cash payments from SSA funds monthly. Zuma defied Constitutional Court orders to testify and was sentenced to 15 months for contempt of court (June 2021). His jailing triggered mass unrest in KwaZulu-Natal and Gauteng (July 2021) in which over 300 people died. Arthur Fraser granted him contested medical parole in September 2021 — later declared unconstitutional by the Supreme Court of Appeal. In 2024, leading the uMkhonto we Sizwe (MK) party, Zuma contributed to the ANC losing its parliamentary majority for the first time since 1994.
Connections
- Gupta Family — central patron-client; Guptas offered cabinet posts with Zuma’s knowledge; Duduzane Zuma closely allied
- Bosasa (African Global Operations) — Gavin Watson paid R300,000/month via Dudu Myeni per Angelo Agrizzi testimony; confirmed by Zondo Commission
- Arthur Fraser — Fraser was Zuma’s spy boss; leaked Spy Tapes that saved Zuma’s prosecution (2009); granted Zuma unlawful medical parole (2021)
- Schabir Shaik — convicted of corrupt payments to Zuma; created “generalised pattern of corrupt behaviour,” confirmed by court
- Dudu Myeni — close associate; SAA chairperson; conduit for Bosasa monthly payments to Zuma
- Zondo Commission — refused to testify; 15 months contempt; commission found state capture extensive under his presidency
- Cyril Ramaphosa — succeeded as ANC president December 2017, national president February 2018
- State Security Agency (SSA) — weaponised personally; received irregular monthly cash payments from SSA, 2015–2017
- South African Arms Deal — R30bn defence package (1999); basis of all 16 current criminal charges