Zuma To Face Legal D-Day In Corruption Trial First

[Daily Maverick] FIRST THING with JOHN STUPART TGIF, 6 April 2018 "It had never been seen before by European eyes; but scenes so lovely must have been gazed upon by angels in their flight.” David Livingstone, on the Mosi-Oa-Tunya (Victoria Falls) STORY OF THE DAY [The Eve of Zuma’s Day in Court: The true believers await their martyred Msholozi]( By REBECCA DAVIS. On the eve of former president Jacob Zuma’s day in court, his supporters gathered in central Durban to show their ongoing appreciation of a man who they feel is being treated unjustly by the media, society, the ANC, and the courts. En masse, they defied orders from the top of the ANC not to wear party regalia in defence of Zuma – saying that they refused to be controlled in this manner. WHILE YOU WERE SLEEPING [Zuma's legal D-Day looms]( Today former president Jacob Zuma gets his first day in court. He will be facing criminal charges brought against relating to the 1990s arms deal. Before all this, an excitable rally in support of their chosen political messiah took place in Durban. But go to court he shall, and it could get ugly fast. Zuma is facing a probable 16 charges of corruption, money laundering and fraud. Given the several hundred outstanding allegations against the now vulnerable man, this is just the first legal beachhead in a legal storm that could take the rest of Zuma's life to unravel. [Trump plays ignorance on Daniels payment]( President Donald Trump has insisted that he did not pay former porn star Stormy Danials $130,000 to keep quiet about their tryst. Staying silent on the topic for two months, Trump took a quick break from bringing about the fourth trade apocalypse to deny the bribery allegations. Trump instead threw his former lawyer under the bus, stating that he did not know why attorney Michael Cohen made the payment. If his lawyer pays and not Trump, it seems in the president's mind that this constitutes a non-payment. [Studio Ghibli co-founder dies]( Isao Takahata, an Oscar-nominated Japanese director, has died aged 82. Takahata was the other half of Studio Ghibli, the anime company that was best known for the gut-wrenching World War II epic Grave of the Fireflies. Takahata died in a Tokyo hospital after falling gravely ill. If any of you grew up watching Heidi on SAUK to badly-dubbed Afrikaans, this is the man responsible for a part of your childhood. The apartheid government is responsible for the Afrikaans bit. [Woods gains momentum in Masters first round]( Tiger Woods' return to Augusta National today saw him manage a one-over-par 73 in his first round. The performance allowed Woods a shot at the title but requires the post-spinal fusion professional to step up big time in the coming days' play. Sergio Garcia, hoping to defend his Masters title, finished his first round with a torrid nine-over 81. Garcia at one point hit 13 on a par-five hole, sinking five straight shots into the water. "Rage" surely does not describe it. — PICTURE OF THE DAY By EPA-EFE/DEAN LEWINS Henri Schoeman of South Africa crosses the finish line to win the gold medal during the Men's Triathlon at the XXI Commonwealth Games. IN NUMBERS 15 The number of years until Nasa hopes to start a probe in Uranus. FACTS OF THE DAY Today in 1652 Jan van Riebeeck landed in the Cape of Good Hope, bringing the Dutch, and their smallpox, to South Africa. At one point after his starring role in The Gladiator, Russell Crowe was targeted by al-Qaeda for kidnapping. 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