The promotion around former president Jacob Zuma’s book has topped social media’s trending list, with some questioning the price tag. 

Titled Jacob Zuma Speaks, the book can be bought for R300, or R1,000 for a signed copy, at “car boot sales” in Johannesburg

Zuma’s spokesperson Mzwanele Manyi told TimesLIVE the book was “selling like hot cakes” and sales will go towards paying Zuma’s legal fees.

“They sold like hot cakes in 20 minutes , easily, more than 100 copies were gone. 

“We brought 100 copies and way more people bought the book than we could provide so we have backlogs,” he said.

Speaking during the virtual launch of the book, Duduzile Zuma-Sambudla said it was the first of many. 

“I want to let SA know this is going to be the first of many books my dad is going to be writing, and involved in. The book that you are all waiting for will be coming soon,” she said.

The book comes after the former president was released from prison on medical parole in September due to ill health two months into a 15-month sentence for contempt of court after refusing to appear before the state capture inquiry. 

Zuma said the book will set the record straight on some of the “untrue” stories about him. 

“I feel very good that some South Africans who are patriots have felt it was not fair for those South Africans who think differently to tell the kind of stories that were not true,” he said. 

“The untruth about the work we have done demonstrated the truth is important for society to be well informed, to know what is happening. There is no use to create stories because you have powerful machinery to do so.”

On social media, many users believed the R1,000 price tag attached to signed copies of the book was steep.

Some who claimed they had bought the book said they were disappointed by its content.

Here is a snapshot of what many had to say: