Jacob Zuma to appear at High Court on Friday to fight corruption charges against him

The Former president of South Africa, Jacob Zuma says his name has turned synonymous with corruption mainly due to the public and media campaign coordinated by the National Prosecuting Authority (NPA). He is set to appear in the Pietermaritzburg High Court on Friday.

Jacob Zuma will fight his last crucial court battle to stop his prosecution for alleged corruption in May next year – the same month suggested by the ANC for the 2019 elections in South Africa.

The state has asked for two months to respond to 76-year old politician's multiple allegations of wrongdoings and corruption. He has made the claim in his 300-page affidavit filed in the High Court as part of his application for a permanent stay of prosecution in his corruption case.

According to his claims, he has been treated dishonourably and that allowing the case to continue would be a violation of his rights. In the affidavit, he said that he is unlikely to receive a fair trial because of various issues such as delays, political interference, pre-trial irregularities and prosecutorial misconduct.

However, he has claimed that his corruption prosecution was defined by political manipulation, undue delay and 'blatant prosecutorial bias' – 'all designed to prejudice him declare him synonymous with crime and corruption.' He also said that the State should have charged him together with his former financial adviser Schabir Shaik.