South Africa’s top court on Thursday delivered a damning verdict against President Jacob Zuma, saying he had ‘failed to uphold’ the constitution in a case over public funds spent upgrading his private residence.
Zuma “failed to uphold, defend and respect the constitution as the supreme law of the land,” said Chief Justice Mogoeng Mogoeng in a ruling delivered by the Constitutional Court in Johannesburg.
The court also ordered President Jacob Zuma to pay back the public funds spent upgrading his private residence, to settle the corruption scandal that has rocked the government.
“The president must personally pay the amount determined by the national treasury,” Chief Justice Mogoeng added.
In a swift response, South Africa’s main opposition party has launched a bid to impeach President Jacob Zuma after the country’s top court ruling.
“Today’s ruling is clear in this regard: President Jacob Zuma’s action amounts to a serious violation of the constitution, and constitutes grounds for impeachment,” the Democratic Alliance party said in a statement.
AFP
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