S. Africa’s Zuma returns to court. South Africa’s ruling African National Congress party head Jacob Zuma faces a second day in court as he seeks to have graft charges against him thrown out. The ANC leader stands accused of corruption, fraud, racketeering and money-laundering over a 1999 arms deal. His lawyers are arguing that delays in bringing the case to court mean he will not get a fair trial. He told his supporters outside court after the first day of the hearing that he was not “afraid of anything,” according to the Associated Press. In Zulu, he thanked the cheering crowds for standing by him through thick and thin. Zuma says he is the victim of a political conspiracy designed to prevent him from becoming South Africa’s next president. “Those who know me will know that I am not a coward. I have never been afraid of anything. … I was willing to die for this country and I am prepared to die for it,” AFP news agency quotes him as saying. He then sang his trademark anti-apartheid guerrilla song, “Bring Me My Machine Gun,” AP reports. Zuma has said he will stand down as ANC leader only if he is found guilty. Critics say he is just trying to delay proceedings until after he is elected president. The shadow of corruption has been hanging over Zuma for several years. In 2005 he was sacked as South Africa’s deputy president when his financial adviser, Schabir Shaik, was found guilty of soliciting a bribe on behalf of Zuma and jailed for 15 years in connection with an arms deal. Zuma then went on trial, but the case collapsed in 2006 when the prosecution said it was not ready to proceed. He was charged again last December shortly after winning a bitter campaign against President Thabo Mbeki to become ANC leader.

TAGS: ANC, Court, Jacob, Zuma

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