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Former South African President, Jacob Zuma has strongly rejected what he calls attempts to crown him “King of corrupt people”.

Mr. Zuma on Monday started giving testimony live on state television, at a state corruption inquiry. He is expected to face the commission of inquiry during the week.

Jacob Zuma who resigned from office in 2018 was accused of supporting state corruption. He is reported to have allowed his friends to influence senior government appointments during his presidency.

But on Monday he strongly rejected those allegations saying there is a conspiracy to assassinate his character.

He said “I have been vilified, alleged to be the king of corrupt people. I have been given every other name and I have never responded to those issues.”

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Zuma said “There has been a drive to remove me from the scene, a wish that I should disappear.”

Before he left office Zuma did not establish the inquiry despite a 2016 report by the country’s public protector for him to do so.

The three Gupta brothers who had strong link with former President Zuma have been at the centre of this state capture scandal.

Zuma told the commission he sees nothing wrong with his relationship with the Guptas. He claims previous presidents have had even stronger ties with the Guptas.

Plot to kill him

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Mr. Zuma has also spent enough time to assert and allege of a plot to kill him. He says those plots started during his presidency and have continued even now that he is out of office.

He said “I’ve resigned, as asked by the NEC, and I’m staying there. But even when I’m staying there, there is a plot to kill me.”

“These people who participate in it (the plot against him), where do they get this idea? Who instructs them,” Zuma asked.

The former president added that “I’ve been respectful to comrades, to people I know… maybe I’ve reached a point now where maybe that must take a backseat. They concoct everything just to deal with Zuma.”

Zuma claims “partly because some people are part of a plan to kill me”, he wants to tell his side of the story “before I die”.

Source: Africafeeds.com