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South African president to address nation about scandal South African president apologizes for scandal
(about 1 hour later)
JOHANNESBURG — Opposition lawmakers are heaping criticism on President Jacob Zuma after South Africa’s top court said he violated the constitution. But the institution that can oust him — the ruling African National Congress party — has yet to turn on its leader despite reports of internal strains. JOHANNESBURG — South African President Jacob Zuma on Friday apologized for a scandal over millions of dollars in state spending on his private residence and said he would abide by a Constitutional Court ruling that he should pay back some funds.
Zuma’s office said he will respond to the court ruling against him in an address the nation on Friday evening. In a nationally televised address, Zuma said he acted “in good faith” in the long dispute over his Nkandla home, which fueled concerns about alleged corruption at the highest levels of government as well as opposition calls for the president to resign.
The main opposition party, the Democratic Alliance, said Friday that it will push to impeach Zuma after the Constitutional Court ruled that Zuma “failed to uphold” the constitution when he didn’t pay back some of the millions of dollars in state funds used to upgrade his private home. “The matter has caused a lot of frustration and confusion for which I apologize on my behalf and on behalf of government,” Zuma said.
Impeachment requires a two-thirds majority in a vote in a parliament where the ANC party has a comfortable majority and has already defeated a no-confidence motion against Zuma this year. The Constitutional Court also ruled Thursday that parliament failed in its obligations by not holding Zuma to account in the spending scandal. The speech was unlikely to curb an opposition move to impeach Zuma after South Africa’s top court said he had violated the constitution by not adhering to recommendations by a state watchdog agency that he should pay back some of the more than $20 million spent on his compound.
Democratic Alliance leader Mmusi Maimane said ruling party lawmakers should act against Zuma if their professed respect for the constitutional is genuine. However, impeachment requires a two-thirds majority in a parliament where the ruling African National Congress party has a comfortable majority and has already defeated a no-confidence motion against Zuma this year. The Constitutional Court also ruled Thursday that parliament failed in its obligations by not holding Zuma to account in the spending scandal.
Under the court’s ruling, the national treasury must calculate costs of upgrades unrelated to security at Zuma’s home within 60 days, and the president must repay that amount within 45 days thereafter. Those upgrades include a swimming pool and a chicken run.
“I wish to emphasize that I never knowingly or deliberately set out to violate the constitution, which is the supreme law of the republic,” Zuma said.
Mmusi Maimane, leader of the main opposition party, the Democratic Alliance, said earlier Friday that ruling party lawmakers should act against Zuma if their professed respect for the constitution is genuine.
“If you are serious about that, then you can’t have Jacob Zuma,” Maimane said.“If you are serious about that, then you can’t have Jacob Zuma,” Maimane said.
While some ruling party members have said, without referring to Zuma’s leadership, that they respect the Constitutional Court’s judgment, at least one faction said it still supports him. The women’s league of the ANC said Zuma earlier offered to pay back some money for home upgrades, though critics described that as a late ploy to avoid the Constitutional Court hearing. In a separate scandal, Zuma has been accused of allegedly improper links to the Guptas, a wealthy business family whose business associates include Zuma’s son Duduzane. The president dismissed allegations that the Guptas played a role in selecting some Cabinet ministers, but other leaders of the ruling party have harshly criticized the family.
“Our faith and support for President Jacob Zuma remains unshaken,” the women’s league said. ___
In a separate scandal that alarmed ruling party leaders, Zuma was accused of allegedly improper links to the Guptas, a wealthy business family whose business associates include Zuma’s son Duduzane. The president dismissed allegations that the Guptas played a role in selecting some Cabinet ministers. Follow Christopher Torchia on Twitter at www.twitter.com/torchiachris
Copyright 2016 The Associated Press. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed.Copyright 2016 The Associated Press. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed.