Former first lady Nompumelelo Ntuli Zuma on Sunday broke
her silence and shared the difficulties she claims she has faced since being
accused of attempts to poison former president Jacob Zuma five years ago.
Amid the allegations in 2015, she and her three children
were banned from the Nkandla homestead and were moved to Durban North.
MaNtuli spoke to Karyn Maughan. This after the NPA decided not to prosecute anyone for
Zuma's alleged poisoning due to a lack of evidence.
In April this year, reported that MaNtuli's lawyer, Ulrich
Roux, wrote to NPA head Shamila Batohi, asking her to finalise the
investigation against his client as she had been awaiting her fate since 2015.
In the letter, Roux argued that neither police or the NPA
had managed to gather enough evidence against MaNtuli.
“In four years, the SA Police Services and the National
Prosecuting Authority have seemingly made no progress pertaining to any further
investigation being conducted herein and whether there is merit or substance in
the allegations levelled against my client.”
Here are five quotes from her interview with Newzroom
Afrika:
Living in isolation
“I was shattered to go to public and do my work. No one was
willing to come near me, no one was willing to work with me so I was so much
isolated from the community that I used to stay in.”
The pain lingers
“Yes, I'm happy to say I am cleared and the world knows the
truth, but the pain is still there.”
It's been hard
“It's been hard to live like this. I loved to do my own
shopping and I didn't take this first lady thing in too much. I knew it would
end in 10 years. That I couldn't go out and do things for myself without being
looked at was hard.”
Legal help
“I resorted to legal help after lots of unsuccessful
inquiries on the progress of the case. It took some weight off my shoulders to
have a lawyer meditate things for me. I was tired.”
Five years of hell
“I thought my husband knew me. It was a shock. I was
subjected to machines [a lie-detector test]. It has been five years of hell. We
were moved to a one-bedroom guest house in Greytown to accommodate for the
children's schooling.”
Unpleasant living conditions
“My kids and I would sleep together on a double bed in this
tiny room and house. We were cramped. I asked to return to Nkandla but
Mahlobo's official said I'm no longer allowed. I felt abused and betrayed all
these years.”
On social media, tweeps said MaNtuli was a victim of abuse,
while others asked why she had not received any support from the ANC Women's
League.
Jacob Zuma's estranged wife threatens legal action. Ntuli-Zuma describes her prosecution as malicious in an exclusive interview with #NewzroomAfrika's editorial contributor @karynmaughan. #Mantuli #Newzroom405— Newzroom Afrika (@Newzroom405) October 14, 2019
Catch the repeat today at 12H00 on #NewzroomAfrika #Dstv Channel 405 pic.twitter.com/OfJyzbvuK1
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