Presidency Claims “Dubai Palace” Story is a Fabrication. DA Challenges Zuma to Take Legal Action.

The Presidency has issued a statement refuting front page allegations that he owns a ‘palace’ in Dubai.

“The story in the Sunday Times newspaper today, 4 June 2017, that President Jacob Zuma owns a “palace” in Dubai is a fabrication,” said the Presidency.

“President Zuma does not own any property outside South Africa and has not requested anybody to buy property for him abroad.

“The President has also not received or seen the reported emails and has no knowledge of them.”

The Sunday Times reported that the R330-million mansion was bought by the Gupta brothers for the South African president… and that one of his neighbours, in a slightly less lavish mansion, is President Robert Mugabe of Zimbabwe.

As reported widely this week, following the #GuptaEmails leak of thousands of emails, the 10-bedroomed, 13-bathroomed home is alleged to be Villa L35, Lailak Street in wealthy suburb Emirates Hill. It boasts marble, mosaic and gold fittings, and – according to the Sunday Times, the swimming pool is “larger than the ‘fire pool’ at Zuma’s Nkandla compound”.

The paper says that it’s investigative team had discovered, through sources during a trip to Dubai last year, that the Guptas had bought the home for Zuma as a retirement house. They say this has now “apparently been confirmed in the leaked Gupta e-mails.

“The e-mails also show Duduzane acquired residency of the United Arab Emirates on October 5 2015, strengthening the Zuma family’s ties with the territory. The permit expires in October 2018.”

In a leaked letter, apparently drafted for Zuma to sign (with no signature on it yet), the text says: “I am happy to inform you that my family has decided to make the UAE, and specifically Dubai, a second home and have already acquired a residence located at Emirates Hills, Dubai (Villa No L-35, Lailak Street No1).”

Zuma has long been accused of being held captive by the Gupta Family, who are alleged to be running South Africa through the appointments and firings of certain top ministers.

The DA has challenged Zuma to take legal action against the Sunday Times over the Dubai mansion story. DA Leader Mmusi Maimane said: “The claims made in the story are not trivial and go to the very nub of state capture by the notorious Gupta family. The allegations are serious, and cannot simply be dismissed via a press release.

“Therefore if the story is in fact false – as the Presidency claims – the DA challenges the President to take legal action against the newspaper for publishing false and defamatory information about him and his good friends, the Gupta brothers.

“If Jacob Zuma has nothing to hide, then he must proceed with legal action in this matter. That way, evidence can be brought from either side, and the people of South Africa will be afforded the truth in this matter. If the President fails to do so, we can only assume the content of the story to be true – and that his ANC has sold this country to the Gupta family for profit.

“I will also be addressing this matter with the President, face to face, when he appears in Parliament later this month to answer oral questions.”

Jokes and Memes Regarding South Africa’s State Capture on Twitter this week: