Former South African leader Zuma faces court hearing during robbery and killing Reuters

Authors: Tim Cocks and Alexander Winning

Johannesburg (Reuters)-On Monday, the South African Supreme Court began hearing the 15-month imprisonment challenge of former President Jacob Zuma. Police said that since last week, 6 people have been killed in related protests and robberies , More than 200 people were arrested.

After a weekend of riots by pro-Zuma protesters, sporadic violence and looting continued on Monday, mainly in his hometown of KwaZulu-Natal (KZN). Some riots spread to Johannesburg, the country’s largest city.

Zuma, 79, was sentenced for violating a Constitutional Court order that provided evidence in an investigation into high-level corruption during his nine years in office until 2018.

The decision to imprison him stemmed from legal proceedings and was seen as a test of South Africa’s ability to enforce the rule of law after apartheid, including confronting powerful politicians.

At the virtual hearing, Zuma’s lawyer asked the court to revoke his imprisonment period, on the grounds that the judgment can be reconsidered if the affected person is absent or contains a patent error.

Legal experts say that Zuma’s chances of success are slim.

The TV channel broadcast footage of a fire in a shopping mall in Pietermaritzburg, KZN, on Monday. The channel stated that the highway to the city has been closed to prevent further violence.

“NatJOINTS (government intelligence agency) has stepped up its deployment in Gauteng (province including Johannesburg) and all areas of KwaZulu-Natal. Due to violent protests, property damage and shop robbery continued overnight. ,” the agency said. A statement.

It said the bodies of four people were found in Gauteng Province-at least two of them sustained gunshot wounds. Two deaths occurred in KZN, and all six people are under investigation.

Zuma’s imprisonment marked the major downfall of the liberation movement as an important figure in the ruling African National Congress (ANC). Prior to 1994, he was imprisoned by South African minority rulers for his efforts to make all citizens equal before the law.

Zuma’s core supporters echoed his position, claiming that he was a victim of political persecution orchestrated by his successor, President Cyril Ramaphosa’s allies.

Ramaphosa said on Sunday that the violence was unjustified, it undermined efforts to rebuild the economy and was hurt by the COVID-19 pandemic.

The corruption investigation that Zuma refused to cooperate is examining allegations that he allowed three Indian-born businessmen, Atul, Ajay, and Rajesh Gupta, to plunder national resources and peddle the impact on government policy. He and the Gupta brothers fled the country after he stepped down and are believed to live in Dubai. They denied wrongdoing.

Zuma also faces a corruption case related to the $2 billion arms trade when he was vice president in 1999. He denied the allegations in this case.