Jacob Zuma's testimony on state capture in twelve quotes: 'Did I auction Table Mountain?'

Former president Jacob Zuma on Monday appeared before the state capture commission, headed by deputy chief justice Zondo to respond to allegations levelled against him on corruption, state capture and his relationship with the Guptas. Here's his testimony in twelve quotes:

Zuma's character assassination

"The answer was, we want to assassinate Zuma's character because he has a lot of information as the chief of intelligence. Among that information, there are spies that are infiltrated by us in his organisation."

Arms deal investigation

"I was not at national level but at provincial when suddenly I had to be charged but before this I was removed as the deputy president of the country in 2005 because I was implicated in the arms deal. Bear in mind I was not in national, but in provincial."

I was offered to resign

"I was told to resign, go to Nkandla and I will be looked after. 'Just resign'. There was a rumour that I would be given something like R20 million and I will be maintained. If I resigned that there would be a way to solve this case and we did not report it. The issue of Zuma must resign started way back, as part of this plan."

Zuma-Schaik scandal

"The accusation was that we committed crime with him, but were not charged together. They charged Schabir because they wanted him convicted before they could charge me. There were talks that the judge said the relationship between Zuma and Shaik was generally corrupt, but he did not say that. He asked that people read his judgement."

Nkandla homestead

"You will recall that when I was building my home at Nkandla, problems arose about corruption and the media mentioned figures of the money I have squandered at that place. There were two structures of government that investigated, found nothing on Zuma but I have been so much vilified in the world."

Why Madonsela said I must pay

"Former public protector also came in to do her own investigation because people wanted her to find something but she found nothing. That is in her report. Then she decided to say the additional security matters in my homestead, which were put in as a result of the police and the army for security reasons as it is their duty to look after the president of the country. The public protector recommended that I should pay. No other president was made to do so."

Was the state captured?

"I thought that the state was composed of three arms which are parliament, the judiciary and the executive, but the commission is not meant to investigate these three, but its called the state capture. The matters that have been dealt with, for me, are general corruption matters."

Bulelani Ngcuka tried to get me to retire

"Mzi Khumalo said he was approached before the Polokwane conference by two comrades he knew and one official they were going with. This was Bulelani Ngcuka and Penwell Maduna. Zuma told the commission that the two asked Khumalo for money which would sponsor Zuma's retirement."

No Gupta appointments

"There is no such. I am still waiting for somebody who will say yes, you appointed this one in this way and that way. I have been waiting to ask the person, where did you get this? But it has been made in the narrative, get rid of Zuma."

Zuma must fall shutdown

"At one point there was a demonstration that we have never seen before, when the white community came out in great numbers. 'Zuma must go' but what has he done? Nobody can tell."

Ngoako Ramatlodi

"I watched him when he testified. He said I auctioned the country. What an exaggeration from a lawyer. He can't tell you what I auctioned. Did I auction Table Mountain? or auction Johannesburg? I don't know. It's a lie and there's nothing of that nature."

I have been provoked

"I have been provoked to the last degree, at times by people who I knew what they were doing but I have been wanting to save the organisation and to save the country. They make stories. My own family suffers out of this. People forget that I have a family which will not want to hear lies being told about me."

LISTEN | Day 1 - Zuma's conspiracy theory