President Jacob Zuma Says He Is Not Afraid Of Jail

 

President Jacob Zuma of South Africa told his supporters on Saturday that he wasn’t scared to go to prison because he had been incarcerated during apartheid, in his first public appearance since the release of an anti-corruption report critical of him.

In a report released last week as thousands of protesters called for the president to step down, South Africa’s anti-graft watchdog called for a judge to investigate allegations of influence-peddling in Zuma’s government. Zuma denies providing special favours for wealthy friends.
Zuma told a cheering crowd in his home Kwa-Zulu Natal province, “I’m not scared of jail. I’ve been to jail during the struggle.”

He faces a no-confidence vote in parliament next week after the main opposition called for a vote on Thursday. Zuma has survived his two previous no-confidence votes this year, largely backed by the support of his ANC (African National Congress) which controls about two-thirds of the assembly.