The Jacob Zuma Foundation has issued a strong denial after the former South African president’s name appeared in newly unsealed court documents linked to the late financier and convicted sex trafficker Jeffrey Epstein, pushing back against what it described as an attempt to damage Zuma’s reputation through guilt by association.
The documents, released as part of ongoing legal proceedings in the United States, include a 2010 email allegedly involving Epstein associate Mark Lloyd. The message refers to plans to arrange a dinner at a London hotel for then President Jacob Zuma during an international visit. The email suggests inviting a woman identified as Vera in order to “add some real glamour to the occasion,” while a later message reportedly described Zuma as “impressive and engaging” at the event.
There is no allegation in the documents that Zuma was involved in any criminal activity, nor do they suggest that he had a personal relationship with Epstein. However, the appearance of his name has drawn attention amid renewed global scrutiny of individuals mentioned in Epstein related files.
Responding to the reports, the Jacob Zuma Foundation firmly rejected any insinuation of wrongdoing. Foundation spokesperson Mzwanele Manyi said the claims were an unethical effort to tarnish the former president’s image by associating him with crimes committed by others.
“This is an attempt to smear President Zuma by proximity to the unrelated crimes of a third party,” Manyi said. He described the reporting as “speculative narrative building disguised as investigative journalism” and stressed that no evidence links Zuma to Epstein’s criminal activities.
Manyi added that Zuma’s interactions, as a sitting head of state at the time, were part of routine diplomatic and international engagements and should not be misrepresented years later to suggest impropriety. “There is no substance to these claims,” he said. “The matter is closed.”
The foundation’s response comes as public figures around the world face renewed questions following the release of Epstein related documents, many of which reference meetings, correspondence, or social encounters without alleging criminal conduct. Legal experts have cautioned that inclusion in such documents does not imply guilt and that each reference must be assessed in context.
For the Zuma Foundation, the focus remains on what it calls responsible reporting and the protection of reputations from unfounded insinuations, insisting that the former president should not be drawn into a scandal with which he has no proven connection.
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