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WORLD NEWS Saturday 7 april 2018

Ex-South Africa leader is defiant as corruption case starts

By NQOBILE NTSHANGASE was free "on warning." He
DURBAN, South Africa (AP) could face several years in
— Former South African prison.
president Jacob Zuma sat State prosecutor Billy Down-
in the dock of a packed er suggested that Zuma's
courtroom on Friday to trial start on Nov. 12, though
face corruption charges a lawyer for Zuma said the
and emerged defiant, tell- defense would not agree
ing supporters that the to any trial date for now. In
case against him was politi- the meantime, the defense
cally motivated. is expected to challenge
Zuma, 75, appeared re- a decision by the National
laxed during the brief hear- Prosecuting Authority to re-
ing at which his case was instate the charges against
adjourned until June 8. the former president.
While a lengthy court bat- Outside the courthouse,
tle is expected, the specta- Zuma sang and swayed
cle of Zuma appearing be- on a stage before a large
fore a judge less than two group of supporters, many
months after his resignation sporting regalia of the ANC
was a victory for opposition party.
figures and activists who He told the crowd that he
have fought for years to was the victim of a politi- Former South African President Jacob Zuma sits in the dock at the High Court in Durban, South
Africa, Friday, April 6, 2018. Zuma is called to answer charges of fraud, racketeering and money
call him to account. cal vendetta and that he laundering.
Sixteen charges of fraud, has campaigned for the Associated Press
racketeering and money economic rights of South
laundering were recent- Africa's black majority The court hearing occurred sentenced to 15 years in authorities seek to arrest
ly reinstated after being since the end of apartheid in the coastal city of Durban prison. He was released af- members of the Gupta
thrown out nearly a de- in 1994. The message reso- in Zuma's home province of ter two years on medical business family, which al-
cade ago. They relate to nates among many people KwaZulu-Natal province, a parole. legedly used its connec-
an arms deal in the 1990s, who resent the fact that stronghold of his support. Zuma was replaced as tions to Zuma to influence
when Zuma was deputy much of the economy re- "Hands off Zuma," his back- president by his deputy, Cabinet appointments and
president. The case fueled mains in the hands of the ers chanted. Cyril Ramaphosa, who has win state contracts.
the public anger that finally white minority despite the Also in the dock was a promised a robust cam- Also, South Africa's top
forced Zuma from power advent of democracy. representative of Thales, a paign against corruption court ruled in 2016 that
in February, though other "When a person is being French defense company and seeks to rebuild a rul- Zuma violated the constitu-
scandals hurt him and the accused of a crime, that accused of paying bribes ing party whose moral stat- tion following an investiga-
ruling African National Con- doesn't mean that they've to Zuma in the arms deal. ure has diminished since tion of multi-million-dollar
gress party that eventually been found guilty. That per- Zuma's financial adviser taking power at the end of upgrades to his private
instructed him to resign. son still has their rights just at the time, Schabir Shaik, apartheid. home using state funds.
At the hearing, Judge like anybody else," Zuma was convicted of corrup- In another scandal linked He paid back some of the
Themba Sishi said Zuma said. tion in the case in 2005 and to Zuma, South African money.q

Egypt, Sudan and Ethiopia fail to agree on Nile dispute

CAIRO (AP) — The foreign Ethiopia, like Egypt, has portant," but that the three for its development and is ceived the lion's share of
ministers of Sudan, Egypt, said that the dam issue is a sides failed to "end up with seeking to assure Cairo that the Nile's waters under
and Ethiopia have failed "matter of life or death." satisfying answers." it will not significantly harm agreements seen by other
to reach an agreement in Sudan's Foreign Minister Egypt's Foreign Minister it. The sticking point ap- Nile basin nations as unfair.
the lingering dispute over Ibrahim Ghandour said Sameh Shukri confirmed pears to be how quickly the Former Egyptian presidents
Ethiopia's massive dam on on Friday that 15 hours of the remarks in a report reservoir behind the dam have warned that any at-
the Blue Nile, ministers said talks in Khartoum have published by the daily al- will be filled and if that will tempt to build dams along
on Friday. ended with no deal. The Shorouk, adding that there impact Egypt's water share. the Nile will be met with mil-
Egypt is concerned that the three countries' intelligence will be another round of The Renaissance Dam is itary action.
Grand Ethiopian Renais- chiefs and irrigation minis- talks within 30 days. now 63 percent finished Sudan appears to be tak-
sance Dam will drastically ters also attended the talks. Egypt fears Ethiopia's $4.8 and Ethiopia hopes to be- ing Ethiopia's side in the
impact its own share of wa- Ghandour said that, nev- billion dam could reduce come a key energy hub in dam negotiations and has
ter from the Nile, on which ertheless, "the meetings its Nile water share. Ethiopia Africa upon its completion. revived a longstanding bor-
the entire population relies. were constructive and im- has said it needs the dam Egypt has traditionally re- der dispute with Egypt.q