POLL | Would you fork out R1,000 for a signed copy of Zuma’s book?

The price tag attached to Jacob Zuma’s autographed book has seen many up in arms online. 

At the weekend, Zuma launched his long-awaited autobiography, Jacob Zuma Speaks, which retails for R300 or R1,000 for a signed copy at “car boot sales” in Johannesburg.

Sales of the book will go towards paying Zuma’s legal fees, with his foundation starting a crowdfunding initiative earlier this year for the same purpose.

The book is said to be the first of many the former president will release.

Zuma’s spokesperson Mzwanele Manyi told TimesLIVE the book was “selling like hot cakes”.

“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. 

The Jacob Zuma Foundation said limited launch copies would be available from Monday at Xarra Books in Midrand. More outlets in other provinces will be announced soon. 

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 “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.”