After years of declining invitations to the State of the Nation Address (SONA), former President Jacob Zuma is set to attend the event alongside Umkhonto Wesizwe (MK) Party Members of Parliament (MPs) on Thursday evening. This would mark his first appearance at SONA since resigning as president in 2018.
MK Party national spokesperson Nhlamulo Ndhlela confirmed that Zuma, along with 50 of the party’s MPs, is expected to be present. However, conflicting reports from MK Party’s Mzwanele Manyi suggest that Zuma won’t be attending after all. Speaking to Newzroom Afrika, Manyi claimed Zuma had planned to deliver the party’s “real” SONA, but Parliament allegedly failed to provide a venue. He also hinted at judicial interference, arguing that legal battles are preventing Zuma from attending.
Adding to the confusion, Zuma faces two major legal matters that coincide with SONA. One is his case against President Cyril Ramaphosa, where he seeks to privately prosecute him, and the other is his ongoing corruption trial linked to the arms deal.
Before any potential trip to Cape Town, Zuma is set to appear in court on Thursday morning for his bid to prosecute Ramaphosa. This stems from a 2022 case where Zuma accused Ramaphosa of being an accessory after the fact in the alleged leaking of his medical records. In 2024, the Gauteng High Court postponed the case, instructing Zuma to provide details of his appeal. However, on Monday, the Constitutional Court dismissed Zuma’s application for condonation regarding his late submission, putting further pressure on his legal team.
Meanwhile, in a separate case, French arms company Thales is attempting to derail the National Prosecuting Authority’s (NPA’s) corruption and racketeering trial against Zuma. The company argues that the deaths of two key witnesses compromise the fairness of the trial. However, the NPA has vowed to fight the application, with national spokesperson Advocate Mthunzi Mhaga stating that the case has “no merit and stands to be dismissed.”
Zuma continues to face charges of fraud, corruption, and money laundering in connection with the arms deal involving Thales. Prosecutors allege that the company paid bribes to Zuma through Nkobi Holdings, a business linked to convicted Durban businessman Schabir Shaik. While Shaik was sentenced for his role in the scandal, he was released on medical parole in 2009.
With court battles mounting and his political presence growing within the MK Party, the real question remains: Will Zuma make his highly anticipated SONA comeback, or will his legal troubles keep him away once again?
