Former South African president Jacob Zuma speaks to supporters who gathered at his home, as South African court agreed to hear his challenge to a 15-month jail term for failing to attend a corruption hearing, in Nkandla, South Africa, July 4, 2021. [Reuters]Former South African president Jacob Zuma, whose jailing earlier this month triggered riots, is expected to appear virtually on Monday for the latest hearing in a trial related to an arms deal corruption case. Following his imprisonment, protests flared up in his home province KwaZulu-Natal which escalated into rampant looting, arson and riots, and spread to Gauteng province. Zuma faces multiple charges of corruption, fraud, racketeering and money laundering over a $2 billion arms deal involving French company Thales (then known as Thomson-CSF), when Zuma was deputy president. Zuma and Thales both have pleaded not guilty to the charges.

Source: Standard Digital July 19, 2021 08:03 UTC