VOA常速英语2007年-South African Court Gives Green Light for Zuma

By Delia Robertson
Johannesburg
08 November 2007

South Africa's Supreme¹ Court of Appeal has ruled in favor of the prosecution² in four applications that will give the state access to important evidence in its corruption³ case against Jacob Zuma, the country's former deputy president.  VOA's Delia Robertson reports from our bureau in Johannesburg.

The court's decision will allow the state access to documents seized in 2005 at the homes and offices of Jacob Zuma and two of his lawyers.  The original court order, authorizing⁴ seizure⁵ of the documents, had been overturned by a lower court in Durban.

It also granted the prosecution access to original documents in Mauritius.  These include the 2000 diary of Alain Thetard, then chief executive of the South African branch of the French arms manufacturer, now called Thint.  The diary is thought to include details of a meeting between Thetard, Zuma and Shabir Shaik, Zuma's former financial advisor⁶ previously⁷ convicted on fraud and corruption charges, which the court at the time linked to Zuma. 

The prosecution charges that at the meeting in 2000, the three discussed an annual payment of 77-thousand dollars from Thint to Zuma, which the state alleges⁸ was a bribe⁹ linked to South Africa's 7-billion dollar arms refurbishment program. 

Zuma's lawyer Mike Hulley said in a statement, the court's majority decisions have strong constitutional law imperatives¹⁰ which impact fundamentally on Mr. Zuma's rights.  He said an appeal will be filed with the Constitutional Court.

The court's decision comes just a month ahead of the national conference of the ruling African National Congress which will choose the party's leadership for the ensuing five years and at which Zuma is seeking to become president of the organization. 

Consequently there has been widespread reaction, including from the ANC alliance partner, the Congress of South African Trade Unions which said the federation's support for his candidacy is unshaken by the development.

But others groupings, such as the opposition¹¹ Democratic Alliance have called for charges against Zuma to be immediately reinstated or the ANC election of its leaders to be deferred¹².  Alliance leader Helen Zille told national radio that if Zuma were elected leader of the ANC next month, it would have far-reaching implications.

"The point is that it is not a party political issue, the president of the ANC could well become the next president of South Africa, and I think the ANC owes it to the entire country and all the people to whom it is accountable, its voters and other people, in fact to ensure that the people who are up for president of the ANC are above reproach," Zille said.

ANC spokesperson Tiyani Rikhotso says due process must be followed.

"Well as the African national congress we respect the court's decision and as we have consistently maintained, the law must be allowed to take its course," Rikhotso said.

It is unlikely that the prosecution will decide whether to reinstate the charges against Zuma until his appeal to the constitutional court is concluded.

1 supreme   

adj.极度的，最重要的；至高的，最高的

参考例句：

• It was the supreme moment in his life.那是他一生中最重要的时刻。
• He handed up the indictment to the supreme court.他把起诉书送交最高法院。

2 prosecution   

n.起诉，告发，检举，执行，经营

参考例句：

• The Smiths brought a prosecution against the organizers.史密斯家对组织者们提出起诉。
• He attempts to rebut the assertion made by the prosecution witness.他试图反驳原告方证人所作的断言。

3 corruption   

n.腐败，堕落，贪污

参考例句：

• The people asked the government to hit out against corruption and theft.人民要求政府严惩贪污盗窃。
• The old man reviled against corruption.那老人痛斥了贪污舞弊。

4 authorizing   

授权，批准，委托( authorize的现在分词 )

参考例句：

• Letters of Marque: Take letters from a warning friendly power authorizing privateering. 私掠许可证：从某一个国家获得合法抢劫的证书。
• Formal phavee completion does not include authorizing the subsequent phavee. 阶段的正式完成不包括核准随后的阶段。

5 seizure   

n.没收；占有；抵押

参考例句：

• The seizure of contraband is made by customs.那些走私品是被海关没收的。
• The courts ordered the seizure of all her property.法院下令查封她所有的财产。

6 advisor   

n.顾问，指导老师，劝告者

参考例句：

• They employed me as an advisor.他们聘请我当顾问。
• The professor is engaged as a technical advisor.这位教授被聘请为技术顾问。

7 previously   

adv.以前，先前（地）

参考例句：

• The bicycle tyre blew out at a previously damaged point.自行车胎在以前损坏过的地方又爆开了。
• Let me digress for a moment and explain what had happened previously.让我岔开一会儿，解释原先发生了什么。

8 alleges   

断言，宣称，辩解( allege的第三人称单数 )

参考例句：

• The newspaper article alleges that the mayor is corrupt. 报纸上断言该市长腐败。
• Steven was tardy this morning and alleges that his bus was late. 史提芬今天早上迟到的说词是公车误点了。

9 bribe   

n.贿赂；v.向…行贿，买通

参考例句：

• He tried to bribe the policeman not to arrest him.他企图贿赂警察不逮捕他。
• He resolutely refused their bribe.他坚决不接受他们的贿赂。

10 imperatives   

n.必要的事( imperative的名词复数 )；祈使语气；必须履行的责任

参考例句：

• Nixon, however, had other imperatives. 但尼克松另有需要。 来自辞典例句
• There could be some cultural imperatives in there somewhere! 在公共传播那里，在某些方面，可能有更迫切的文化需要！ 来自互联网

11 opposition   

n.反对，敌对

参考例句：

• The party leader is facing opposition in his own backyard.该党领袖在自己的党內遇到了反对。
• The police tried to break down the prisoner's opposition.警察设法制住了那个囚犯的反抗。

12 deferred   

adj.延期的，缓召的v.拖延，延缓，推迟( defer的过去式和过去分词 )；服从某人的意愿，遵从

参考例句：

• The department deferred the decision for six months. 这个部门推迟了六个月才作决定。
• a tax-deferred savings plan 延税储蓄计划