South Africa's top court has ruled that Parliament did not hold President Jacob Zuma accountable over his use of state funds to upgrade his home. The court's ruling could trigger impeachment proceedings.
Image: picture-alliance/dpa/N. Bothma
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South African President Jacob Zuma was dealt another major legal blow on Friday after the country's Constitutional Court ruled Parliament failed to hold him accountable in a house upgrade scandal.
The court said that lawmakers must trigger a process that could see Zuma ousted from office should the measure be approved in Parliament.
The court said by not initiating measures to remove Zuma, Parliament failed to fulfill its obligation to oust a president found guilty of a "serious violation" of the law
The case was brought by the ultra-left Economic Freedom Fighters and other small opposition parties
The decision follows the court's ruling last year that said Zuma violated the constitution by using state funds for his private home
Any impeachment proceeding would require a two-thirds majority to pass
Announcing the ruling, Constitutional Court Judge Chris Jafta said:
"Parliament did not hold the president to account" and lawmakers "must put in place a mechanism that could be used for the removal of the president from office."
"Properly interpreted, Section 89 implicitly imposes an obligation on the assembly to make rules specially tailored for the removal of the president from office. By omitting to include such rules, the assembly has failed to fulfil this obligation."
Zuma's African National Congress (ANC) party, which has a majority in Parliament, said in a statement that they "will study the judgment and discuss its full implications" during a high-level meeting on January 10."
What was the scandal: Zuma used roughly $15 million (€12.5 million) in state funds to upgrade his Nkandla home. Last March, the Constitutional Court found that he violated the constitution and ordered him to pay back some of the funds. Zuma has since repaid around $631,000 — a sum determined by the Treasury as the "reasonable cost" he should bear.
How has he stayed in office: The president has survivedseveral votes of no confidence in recent years with the help of the ANC's parliamentary majority.
What happens next: The court's decision is likely to renew pressure on Zuma to resign. This time, however, he is in a weakened position with the ANC. Deputy President Cyril Ramaphosa, a vocal critic of corruption, was elected to replace Zuma as party head this month.
Africa in pictures: A look back at 2017
Zimbabwe and Gambia disposed of long-term rulers; Kenya and Liberia grappled with chaos after contested elections; terror attacks devastated Somalia and Nigeria. DW takes a look at the most important headlines of 2017.
Image: Reuters/J. Oatway
Gambia's dictator Jammeh lost his grip on power
Yahya Jammeh had been ruling the tiny West African country with an iron fist for 22 years when he unexpectedly lost the 2016 presidential elections to his opponent Adama Barrow. ECOWAS troops were sent to Gambia to convince Jammeh to accept his defeat and step down. In January 2017, he finally left for exile in Equatorial Guinea, but not before plundering the country's state coffers.
Image: picture-alliance/AP/dpa/J. Delay
Uganda stopped its search for rebel leader Kony
Joseph Kony, head of the brutal "Lord's Resistance Army" (LRA), is wanted by the International Criminal Court in The Hague for war crimes and crimes against humanity. Uganda and the US announced in April they would stop hunting Kony since the LRA had become irrelevant. The UN, however, attributes fresh kidnappings in the Democratic Republic of Congo to the LRA.
Image: Stuart Price/AP Photo/dpa/picture alliance
Fear of plunging Nigeria into chaos
Africa's most populous nation suffered from the absence of 74-year old President Muhammadu Buhari, who was in London for medical treatment for three months. Islamist militant group Boko Haram repeatedly carried out deadly attacks in Nigeria's northeast, where millions of people depend on food aid.
Image: Reuters/Nigeria Presidency Handout
Cameroon's crisis heated up
Several people were killed and many more wounded after the symbolic announcement of independence of Cameroon's English-speaking region in October. International observers said at least 40 people died in the clashes. The region in the country's southwest had declared an independent state of "Ambazonia" because people in the region feel neglected by the French-speaking majority.
Image: Reuters/J.Kouam
Chaos after contested elections in Kenya
Kenya's President Uhuru Kenyatta was sworn in for a second term, but opposition leader Raila Odinga refused to accept the election result. The country's Supreme Court had previously nullified the initial vote in August due to voting irregularities. The opposition then boycotted the repeat vote in October. There were clashes with dozens killed.
Image: picture-alliance/AP Photo
Presidential runoff postponed in Liberia
Runoff elections to choose a successor to Liberian President Ellen Johnson Sirleaf were postponed after two parties had launched complaints with Liberia's election commission over alleged fraud during the October polls. Those claims were then rejected, meaning the runoff between former Vice President Joseph Boakai and former soccer star George Weah can go ahead.
Image: Getty Images/AFP/I. Sanogo
South Sudan's civil war fuels hunger
For the past four years, people in South Sudan, the world's youngest nation, have been suffering due to the conflict between supporters of President Salva Kiir and his former deputy Riek Machar. A third of the population has been displaced from their homes. About five million people - that's half of South Sudan's population - go hungry. Arable land has been destroyed by fighting, the UN said.
Image: Aktion Deutschland Hilft/Max Kupfer
Somalia suffered worst attack in its history
A truck full of explosives detonated at a busy intersection in Somalia's capital Mogadishu in mid-October, killing hundreds of people. So far, no one has claimed responsibility for the attack which has been described as the worst in the history of the East African nation. The government blames the terror group al-Shabab for the bombing.
Image: picture alliance/dpa/AAS. Mohamed
No peace for Mali
The West African nation has been grappling with crises for six years: First a coup, then a separatist uprising in the north followed by a jihadist insurgency. The 11,000-strong UN peace-keeping mission has repeatedly been attacked - in January, 77 soldiers were killed in the worst attack to date. Al-Qaeda-linked fighters claimed responsibility for the suicide bombing.
Image: Getty Images/AFP
Autocratic ruler Mugabe ousted
After 37 years in power, Zimbabwe's military put President Robert Mugabe under house arrest after he fired his deputy Emmerson Mnangagwa to install his wife as vice President. 93-year-old Mugabe then quit amid impeachment proceedings. Mnangagwa was sworn in as president, but has since disappointed those who had hoped he would include opposition members in his cabinet.
Image: picture alliance/dpa/NurPhoto/B. Khaled
Kabila clings to power
President Joseph Kabila of the Democratic Republic of Congo has already served the two terms allowed by the country's constitution. Even though his second term finished at the end of 2016, he kept postponing new elections. They are now scheduled for the end of 2018. Police have stifled street protests and arrested demonstrators, opposition groups say.
Image: picture alliance/dpa/AP Photo/J. Bompengo
Corruption scandal widens in South Africa
Corruption allegations involving South African President Jacob Zuma and the wealthy Gupta family have picked up during the year. International companies were accused of having paid kickbacks in order to win government contracts. The country's economy is suffering with unemployment rates hovering around 30 percent. The fight over who gets to replace Zuma is expected to pick up steam in 2018.
