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South African Prosecutors Seek New Charges Against Zuma


South African prosecutors say they have new evidence of corruption against former deputy president Jacob Zuma, who is seeking to take over the ruling African National Congress party.

The National Directorate of Special Operations presented what it says is new evidence of fraud and corruption to South Africa's Constitutional Court in an affidavit earlier this week. In that affidavit, a senior special investigator alleges that Zuma received larger payments in a corruption case than originally thought.

The investigator says the new evidence clears the way for Zuma to be re-charged. Charges against him were dismissed last year when the government said it was not ready to move forward with the case.

President Thabo Mbeki fired Zuma as South Africa's deputy president in 2005 after Zuma was tied to the corruption scandal.

Zuma is facing Mr. Mbeki in a contest for the ANC presidency at the party's national conference Sunday.

Zuma is favored to win the ANC leadership battle after taking a strong lead in the party's provincial primaries. Winning the battle would put him in a strong position to win the South African presidency in the 2009 elections.

Mr. Mbeki is constitutionally barred from seeking a third term, but he is seeking to stay on as ANC leader and exert political influence.

Some information for this report provided by Reuters.

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