DA to oppose any attempt by Zuma to avoid repaying his nearly R29m debt to state

The Democratic Alliance (DA) says it will oppose any attempt by former President Jacob Zuma to avoid repaying his debt of nearly R29 million to the state.

The Gauteng High Court ruled on Wednesday that Zuma must reimburse the state for the legal costs it paid in his long-running arms deal corruption case.

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Between 2005 and 2019, the state covered Zuma’s legal fees, even though the charges against him were in his personal capacity.

DA spokesperson Willie Aucamp said that Zuma should accept the ruling, close the matter and pay back the money owed to the state.

"Since 2018, Mr Zuma has evaded repaying millions in legal fees that the state should not have paid in the first place. Mr Zuma has benefited from thus R28.9 million tax money over the past seven years. In every way possible, the DA continues to fight for the rule of law, protection of taxpayer money and the rooting out of state capture."