Fair play to Jacob Zuma. He’s absolutely adamant he won’t pay a cent towards his own court bills, and he seems to be winning the fight. Speaking to SABC on Friday morning, the ANC’s Acting national spokesperson Dakota Legote confirmed they would bailout Msholozi by paying for his legal fees.

It marks a bizarre twist in the tail, just 24 hours after Zuma was asked to pay back a fee of approximately R16 million in public funds he used for his own private court cases. The ANC initially welcomed the judgement he’d have to “pay back the money”, but Legote seems to be letting the former president off the hook in a major way.

Who’s paying? ANC to cover Jacob Zuma and his legal bills

He accepted “responsibility” on behalf of the party for Zuma’s transgressions and claimed it was their responsibility to spring him out of trouble. It’s mixed-messages central at Luthuli House, who cannot begin their “new dawn” without Jacob Zuma’s face appearing in the sun – like that baby from The Teletubbies.

We digress. Legote was beating around the bush before he articulated that the party would help Zuma in his state repayments. He says that this is not a question of helping Msholozi, and insisted that the party would act this way for any other former leader:

“As the ANC, we must be held accountable. Where there’s no accountability, there will be anarchy. So we are taking responsibility. We have to discuss this among ourselves but whatever decisions have been made by any of our presidents, it falls on us. Of course we will pay for his legal fees, through donations and other forms.”

What Jacob Zuma owes the state

The eventual total Zuma will be told to repay could rise above the R50 million mark, following a series of running battles in 2018. He’s faced three separate court cases, racking up even more fees by hiring a team of lawyers that reportedly cost him – well, the taxpayer – R250 000 per day

Zuma would also be entitled to appeal for legal aid in any of his future court battles. However, the bank of the ANC has made it abundantly clear he can return for a no-questions-asked “loan”, any time he feels like it.