South African President Jacob Zuma has asked the High Court to reject a call by an anti-corruption watchdog for an official inquiry into alleged influence-peddling in his government. The 75-year-old Zuma, whose rule has long been dogged by scandal, and the Gupta brothers have denied the accusations. He questioned the right of the report's author, Public Protector former head Thuli Madonsela, to call for a judicial inquiry. Zuma and the Gupta brothers have denied these allegations. The Supreme Court this month upheld a High Court ruling to reinstate 783 corruption charges filed against him before he became president in 2009.

Source: The Star October 24, 2017 15:56 UTC