Zuma emotional after charges are dropped against him

By Mikhaila Crowie
7 April 2009

ANC president Jacob Zuma was emotional after hearing charges would be dropped against him. He has, however, not yet addressed the media. An insider told to a reporter that Zuma was "emotional" and may not be able to answer "difficult questions" likely to be posed by journalists after the announcement.

However, there has been a strong backlash by opposition parties to the dropping of charges against Zuma.

The leader of the Democratic Alliance Helen Zille says the reasons given by the NPA for dropping the charges against Zuma do not hold water.

The DA is now finalising its plan to take the matter further through the legal system.

Zille says the National Director of Public Prosecutions has not taken a decision based in law, but had rather buckled under political pressure.

Two weeks before the election, it now portrays Zuma as a wronged victim in a show trial.

She says the evidence presented today does not change the fact that there is a strong case against Zuma.

In his reaction, the leader of the Inkatha Freedom Party Mangosuthu Buthelezi says while one understands the embarrassing position the Directorate of Prosecutions was placed in by the McCarthy telephonic conversations, he still believes that it is most unfortunate for Zuma not to have had his day in court.

He says the charges will now hang over Zuma as President.

The leader of the ACDP Kenneth Meshoe says his party supports calls for further investigation into the Zuma affair.

Meshoe says they believe the NPA’s decision was premature and the court should decide on the issue.


Independent Democrats leader Patricia de Lille says she is very angry that the NPA has not provided any substantive legal reasons for withdrawing the fraud, corruption, racketeering and tax evasion charges against Zuma.

She says the first casualty of this decision today is the principle that we are all equal before the law.


The leader of the Freedom Front Plus Dr. Pieter Mulder says it is shocking and outrageous that the ANC's in-fighting and power struggle has landed the country in what he calls “this trouble”.

He added that the worst part was that it has been done with millions of rand of taxpayer's money.

Mulder says it is also of great importance to note that the NPA is still convinced of the merit of their case against Zuma.