Jacob Zuma
Jacob Zuma is a South African politician who served as the fourth president of South Africa from 2009 to 2018. He is a member of the African National Congress (ANC), the party he joined in 1959 and within which he held senior positions for decades. Zuma's presidency was marked by persistent allegations of corruption, state capture and governance failures, culminating in his resignation in February 2018 under pressure from the ANC's national executive committee. Before becoming president, he served as deputy president of South Africa under Thabo Mbeki from 1999 to 2005, a position from which he was dismissed amid corruption charges related to the arms deal. Zuma was elected ANC president in December 2007, defeating Mbeki at the party's Polokwane conference, and led the party to victory in the 2009 and 2014 general elections. His tenure saw the establishment of commissions of inquiry into state capture and governance at state-owned enterprises, many of which implicated individuals in his administration. After leaving office, Zuma was sentenced to 15 months' imprisonment in 2021 for contempt of court after refusing to appear before the Zondo Commission, sparking unrest in KwaZulu-Natal and Gauteng. In 2023 he became the face of the uMkhonto weSizwe Party (MK Party), a new political formation that contested the 2024 elections and drew support away from the ANC, particularly in his home province of KwaZulu-Natal. Zuma was born in Nkandla, KwaZulu-Natal, in 1942 and was active in the anti-apartheid struggle, serving a ten-year sentence on Robben Island alongside Nelson Mandela. He rose through ANC structures in exile, serving in the party's intelligence division and later as head of its intelligence department. His political career has been defined by both his role in the liberation movement and the controversies that have surrounded his time in office and beyond.
Jacob Zuma Updates
Mbeki is not the 'super president'
2nd June 2026 Mpumelelo Mkhabela is not given to cheap political theatre. He is usually a level-headed analyst, with the rare gift of making his point without... →
DA: Geordin Hill-Lewis: Address by DA Federal Leader at the DA's "Get On The Roll" Registration Rally in Eersterust, City of Tshwane (31/05/2026)
1st June 2026 This week something historic happened in Gauteng that send a loud message across South Africa. When I woke up early on Thursday morning, and I saw... →
Analyst warns Parly ‘accountability failures’ risk politicising courts 
By: Thabi Shomolekae 21st May 2026 Political analyst Lukhona Mnguni’s critique of what he says are Parliament's accountability failures, following the recent landmark Constitutional... →
MKP announces suspension of Nhlamulo Ndhlela pending investigation
20th May 2026 The uMkhonto weSizwe Party ("MK Party") wishes to formally announce that President Jacob Zuma has taken the decision to suspend the membership of... →
S v Zuma and Another (Leave to Appeal) (CCD30/2018) [2026] ZAKZPHC 54
15th May 2026 Click here to read the full judgment on Saflii [1] Simultaneously with the applications for leave to appeal against the judgment and order of... →
Julius Malema: South Africa’s performative revolutionary is facing his biggest battle
15th May 2026 Julius Malema, the leader of South Africa’s fourth-largest party, the Economic Freedom Fighters (EFF), is a divisive figure: loved by some, hated... →
Ramaphosa’s political peril earns shrug from investors for now
By: Bloomberg 12th May 2026 South Africa’s rand is shrugging off the threat that President Cyril Ramaphosa may be impeached, reflecting a bet that economic reforms he has... →
Ramaphosa refuses to resign over Phala Phala as Labour Party demands systemic overhaul
By: Thabi Shomolekae 12th May 2026 Political parties have reacted to President Cyril Ramaphosa’s address on the Constitutional Court judgment in the Phala Phala matter, with the... →
Ramaphosa faces down calls to resign over cash-in-sofa scandal
By: Reuters 11th May 2026 President Cyril Ramaphosa faced down calls to resign on Monday over a scandal in which thieves stole bundles of cash in foreign currency hidden in... →
Political violence in South Africa is driven by a power elite trying to establish dominance – new research
21st April 2026 For much of the past two decades, South Africa’s recurring waves of protest have been interpreted through a dominant lens: the failure of the... →
