Union Buildings, Tuynhuys included in Zuma raids

The raids came as the National Prosecuting Authority (NPA) searched Zuma\'s residences in Johannesburg and his traditional homestead at rural Nkandla in KwaZulu-Natal, as well as the offices of his lawyers in Johannesburg and Durban. The Scorpions confirmed that raids were also conducted on the Durban home of Zuma\'s former financial adviser, Schabir Shaik, who has been was sentenced to 15 years in jail for fraud and corruption. Full report on the News24 site

’Charge and investigate later’ were the tactics being used by the State, Zuma’s attorney Michael Hulley said. He expressed his concern that searches of the offices of Zuma\'s lawyers in Johannesburg and Durban created a conflict in the lawyer-client privilege, according to a report on the IoL site. ‘For the past five years, the State has had the opportunity to investigate this case. These matters ought to have been dealt with long ago.’ The National Prosecuting Authority (NPA) denied that there were sinister motives behind the swoops. The operation was a normal procedure in furtherance of the investigation against Zuma ‘to obtain as much evidence as possible’, said NPA spokesperson Makhosini Nkosi. It was executed under a Pretoria High Court order obtained on August 12. Full report on the IoL site How the raids unfolded

The raids raise tricky questions of law and politics, according to a Business Day report. It says they could indicate the State does not yet have the watertight case for corruption it would like, notwithstanding denials by Nkosi yesterday. ‘As far as the evidence at our disposal is concerned, we already have enough to make out a case,’ Nkosi said. That raises the question of why the NPA needed a series of dramatic raids at all. Anton du Plessis, of the Institute of Security Studies, is quoted as saying the unit may be looking to add additional charges against Zuma besides the already-publicised two counts of corruption. ‘They may be acting on the basis of new leads,’ he said. Worrying is that the raids also extended to the offices of Zuma’s lawyers. Seizure of information from lawyers acting for an accused violate attorney-client privilege, and could well prejudice the accused’s defence and infringe his rights. Full report in Business Day

Cosatu, a key Zuma supporter, said the raids were an assault on ‘hard-won democratic gains’. Cosatu General Secretary Zwelinzima Vavi is quoted in Business Day as saying: ‘It is a full-frontal attack on our revolution itself.’ Cosatu said the raids were a response to the labour federations demands, made at a central committee meeting this week, for President Thabo Mbeki to reinstate Zuma and quash his corruption trial. Vavi said: ‘The raids provide more evidence that the NPA and the judicial system are capable of being manipulated and influenced to take biased political decisions.’ Full report in Business Day