Yahoo News South Africa's former president Jacob Zuma to stand trial for corruption
South Africa’s former president Jacob Zuma is to stand trial for corruption.
Zuma, who was forced to stand down only last month, will face 16 charges of graft including counts of fraud, racketeering and money laundering.
Chief Prosecutor Shaun Abrahams said he believed there were ‘reasonable prospects of a successful prosecution’.
He added he was looking for a court trial.
In total, he faces one charge of racketeering, two charges of corruption, one charge of money laundering and 12 of fraud.
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The charges stem from a £1.7bn government arms purchase in the 1999, when Zuma was deputy president.
He was elected president in 2009, before finally being forced out by his ruling African National Congress Party in February as he was facing his ninth no-confidence vote.
Allegations of corruption have long been made against Zuma.
He even went on trial in 2006 but the case against him collapsed when the prosecution said it was not ready to proceed.
In 2016 it was ruled that he had violated the South African constitution by failing to repay government money spent on his home.
An anti-corruption body found he had spent some £15m on refurbishments including a swimming pool and an amphitheatre.
Zuma disputes all the allegations against him.
