A tweeted photo of former president Jacob Zuma on Thursday as he sat on a chair next to a quad bike with a hunting rifle in his hand aiming at something has left the social media abuzz, just days after a court was told that the retired leader was in Cuba receiving medical attention for an unnamed illness.
Zuma’s failure to attend the Pietermaritzburg High Court on Tuesday to answer multiple corruption charges earned him a warrant of arrest, which was stayed to 6 May when he is due for his next appearance.
But social media enthusiasts were surprised to see the retired leader with his gun, and in another image riding his quad bike – and looking healthy.
The photos were not captioned and it was not clear when or where they were taken.
The court issued a warrant of arrest for Zuma due to his failure to appear in court, expressing dissatisfaction with the contents of a medical certificate that Zuma’s legal team had submitted to it.
Zuma and co-accused French arms manufacturer Thales are facing multiple charges, including corruption, money laundering and racketeering during a US$2 billion arms deal transaction.
But his starring role in a social media platform might not auger well for the charismatic former leader at his next court appearance in May, the enthusiasts said.
NM/jn/APA