Former South African president Joseph Zuma is testifying at a judicial inquiry into corruption allegations against him during his time in office.
He told the panel Monday there is a conspiracy against him and that there is “a drive to remove me from the scene, a wish that I should disappear . . .”
The ex-South African leader said he has “been vilified” and has been a victim of “character assassination over 20 years.”
Raymond Zondo, the lead judge in the probe, said, “The commission is not mandated to prove any case against anybody, but is mandated to investigate and inquire into certain allegations.”
Zuma was forced to resign from office last year by his African National Congress after being implicated in numerous corruption scandals, including using some $20 million in public funds for improvements at his private estate.
