FORMER South African president Jacob Zuma was at the center of a looting spree at state institutions, a judicial inquiry found, upping pressure on authorities to prosecute him.
Zuma played a pivotal role in helping the Gupta brothers, who were his friends and business partners of his son, illicitly secure state contracts and tenders, and fired officials who tried to stand in their way, Acting Chief Justice Raymond Zondo, who headed the panel, said in an initial report.
He also found the once highly-regarded national tax agency was rendered ineffectual at the ex-president’s behest and the state security agency’s resources were irregularly used to his benefit.
Evidence presented to the commission suggested that Zuma “could do terrible things to give effect to the wishes of the Guptas,” such as firing Nhlanhla Nene as his finance minister because he refused to cooperate with them, Zondo said in the report released on
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