'The case against him must be demolished' - Zuma supporters outside court

• Supporters of Jacob Zuma gathered outside a KwaZulu-Natal court have said he is being politically persecuted.
• Some have blamed warring factions in the ANC for Zuma's prosecution.
• One supporter said Zuma had sacrificed much for the country's freedom, which was enough reason to drop the case against him.

Loyal supporters of Jacob Zuma gathered outside the KwaZulu-Natal High Court in Pietermaritzburg have again lamented that the embattled former president is a political target.

They ignored concerns of a looming Covid-19 third wave to gather outside court on Wednesday.

Without naming ANC and state president Cyril Ramaphosa, the supporters were clear that Zuma should not stand trial on corruption charges because he was old and simply a political target.

Nandi Mdluli from Durban told News24 she believed his case should be removed from the court roll.

"I am here to support the former president because he already resigned [stepped down as president]. The case must just be demolished because if you see what he has been going through from the 90s until now, it seems as if there is a third hand in the cases."

When asked what third hand she was referring to, Mdluli was cryptic.

"We felt as supporters that this [trial] must come to an end. I thought there is a betrayal [in the ANC]. Obviously, the members are betraying him. I came here because I support him and want the case to be thrown out."

Mandla Zulu, a Zuma supporter from Estcourt, said he was unhappy the case had dragged for so many years.

He also accused the opposing faction in the ANC of being behind the prosecution.

"I am not feeling good about his case. Every time he comes to attend this case, there is no end to it. I support the former president asking Billy Downer to step aside."

Zulu did not comment on Zuma's role in seeking a string of postponements over the years.

Zulu said he supported Zuma's call for prosecutor advocate Billy Downer to recuse himself, claiming Downer was politically motivated, though he did not provide any reasons or evidence for his assertion.

"Downer is supporting another faction of the ANC. As a branch of the ANC, we want Downer to step aside. I think this case will come to an end when Billy Downer steps aside. It is him who is behind this case."

He said the source of the case was Ramaphosa, though again he did not offer up any evidence or further reasoning.

"There is infighting and the faction of the current president of the ANC is responsible."

Another supporter Gugu Mhlongo told News24 she viewed Zuma as an elder who should not have to account to the public after years in the anti-apartheid struggle.

"uBaba was very good to South Africans for a long time. He even went to jail like Mandela and others. You cannot do this to him now. He is the one who fought for all of us."

She said Ramaphosa was jealous of Zuma's struggle credentials.

"He never did the work that Zuma did. There are those who were hiding and doing nothing while Msholozi was sacrificing his life and his family for all of us. Now we put him on trial? That is not right, they must drop the case."

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