Post-presidency: Jacob Zuma is still making headlines

14 February 2019 - 11:20 By Odwa Mjo
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Jacob Zuma takes time out to relax in an otherwise fraught post-presidency year.
Jacob Zuma takes time out to relax in an otherwise fraught post-presidency year.
Image: Jacob Zuma via Twitter

February 14 marks a year since former president Jacob Zuma left the Union Buildings amid growing pressure. Since then, he has remained in the spotlight as legal woes and controversy followed him post-presidency.

Here are five post-presidency Zuma headlines:

Zuma's legal fees

The North Gauteng High Court ruled that Zuma should use his own resources or seek legal aid to pay for lawyers to  defend him in his corruption trial.

The court also ordered the state attorney to "take all necessary steps, including the institution of civil proceedings" to recover all the taxpayers’ money already spent on these costs.

Zuma joins Twitter 

The former president's online presence amplified post presidency as he launched his official Twitter account, with questions of its legitimacy causing much confusion at first.

Since November, Zuma has used his account to comment on his legal battles, to provide insight on current issues such as the land debate, as well as interacting with his supporters through videos and light-hearted banter. 

Zuma's account has accumulated more than 200,000 followers.

Zuma album 

EThekwini head of parks, recreation and culture Thembinkosi Ngcobo revealed that Zuma would be recording renditions of some of his favourite struggle songs, with the album expected to launch in April 2019. 

Ngcobo said award-winning Ladysmith Black Mambazo had reached out to the eThekwini municipality to help create the album by offering its studio facilities free for the live recording and a possible collaboration.

But eThekwini mayor Zandile Gumede said there was "no such thing" and that she had heard about the album through the media. 

Zuma's 'R300K Bosasa salary'

Former Bosasa chief operating officer Angelo Agrizzi claimed that Zuma received a monthly payment of R300,000 from Bosasa. He made this allegation during his testimony at the Zondo commission of inquiry in January. 

'Nine wasted years'

President Cyril Ramaphosa said during the World Economic Forum in Davos that Zuma's term in office represented "nine wasted years" (for the country).

Zuma hit back in a lengthy message, saying that when ANC leaders criticised his term in office, they were "pointing the finger at themselves" considering that Ramaphosa was second in command during the Zuma presidency. 

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