South Africa's Zuma seeks to appeal ruling on influence-peddling

South Africa’s President Jacob Zuma has sought leave to appeal a court ruling ordering him to set up a judicial inquiry into influence-peddling in his government, local television channel eNCA reported on Friday.

The High Court ruled on Dec. 13 that Zuma must set up a judicial inquiry into influence-peddling within 30 days and that he should pay costs for an earlier legal challenge.

The ruling was seen by analysts as devastating to the president who had initially blocked the release of the report, entitled “State of Capture”, which focused on allegations that Zuma’s friends, the businessmen and brothers Ajay, Atul and Rajesh Gupta, had influenced the appointment of ministers.

Zuma and the Guptas have denied all accusations of wrongdoing.

Zuma, who stepped down as Africa National Congress (ANC) president last weekend, has been embroiled in several corruption scandals throughout his political career.

The Supreme Court this year upheld the decision to reinstate up to 8000 corruption charges against the president, dating back to an arms deal in 1991.

RT africanews Ramaphosa pledges to fight corruption https://t.co/ezGFbIZtlE

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The same court overturned Zuma’s appointment of a state prosecutor, saying he clearly had ‘conflict of interest’ and instructed that the deputy president Cyril Ramaphosa should appoint the state prosecutor.

Ramaphosa is the newly elected president of the ruling ANC party and has promised to tackle corruption.