Jacob Zuma

=== Second corruption indictment ===
{{Further|Jacob Zuma corruption charges#2007–2009: Second indictment|label1=Jacob Zuma corruption charges § Second indictment}}

Just over a week after the Polokwane conference, the NPA reinstated charges against Zuma and served him an indictment to stand trial on 12 fraud charges, two corruption charges, and one charge each of [[racketeering]] and [[money laundering]].<ref>{{cite news|date=28 December 2007|title=New charges for S Africa's Zuma|work=BBC News|url=http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/africa/7163332.stm|url-status=live|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20071231062529/http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/africa/7163332.stm|archive-date=31 December 2007}}</ref><ref name="iol.co.za">{{Cite web|date=2008-09-12|title='Zuma application shouldn't be taken lightly'|url=https://www.iol.co.za/news/politics/zuma-application-shouldnt-be-taken-lightly-416250|access-date=2022-01-11|website=[[Independent Online (South Africa)|IOL]]|language=en}}</ref> According to the Constitution, he would have been rendered ineligible for the national presidency had he been convicted and sentenced to imprisonment. However, on 12 September 2008, the charges were declared unlawful on a technicality. The presiding judge also expressed a belief that the charges had been the result of a political conspiracy against Zuma.<ref name="dismiss22">{{cite news|last=Zigomo|first=Muchena|date=11 September 2008|title=South African judge throws out Zuma graft case|newspaper=[[Reuters]]|url=https://www.reuters.com/article/us-safrica-zuma-idUSLC54653420080912|url-status=live|access-date=27 November 2013|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20141129050546/http://www.chinapost.com.tw/international/africa/2008/09/13/174479/S.-African.htm|archive-date=29 November 2014}}</ref>

Although this judgement was later overturned by the appellate court, the Zuma-aligned ANC [[National Executive Committee of the African National Congress|National Executive]], as elected at the Polokwane conference, immediately "recalled" Mbeki, asking him to resign as national president.<ref name="ioltimeline22">{{cite web|date=15 February 2018|title=A timeline of Jacob Zuma's presidency|url=https://www.iol.co.za/news/politics/a-timeline-of-jacob-zumas-presidency-13192711|url-status=live|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20180213193627/https://www.iol.co.za/news/politics/a-timeline-of-jacob-zumas-presidency-13192711|archive-date=13 February 2018|work=[[Independent Online (South Africa)|Independent Online]]}}</ref> Mbeki, seeking to avoid a protracted dispute, did so, and was replaced by newly elected ANC Deputy President [[Kgalema Motlanthe]], who led an interim administration while Zuma campaigned for the 2009 election.<ref>{{Cite news|date=2008-09-25|title=Motlanthe: South Africa's safe hands|language=en-GB|work=BBC|url=http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/world/africa/7629239.stm|access-date=2021-12-09}}</ref>

In January 2009, the [[Supreme Court of Appeal (South Africa)|Supreme Court of Appeal]] found that the charges against Zuma were not unlawful, contrary to the ruling of the lower court. However, the NPA formally withdrew the charges in the same week that Zuma was inaugurated as national president,<ref name="ioltimeline22"/> citing apparent evidence of prosecutorial misconduct in the so-called [[National Prosecuting Authority#"Spy tapes" allegations|spy tapes]].<ref name="Mail & Guardian">{{cite news|date=6 April 2009|title=Mpshe reveals contents of Ngcuka, McCarthy tapes|work=[[Mail & Guardian]]|url=https://mg.co.za/article/2009-04-06-mpshe-reveals-contents-of-ngcuka-mccarthy-tapes|url-status=live|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20150924173923/http://mg.co.za/article/2009-04-06-mpshe-reveals-contents-of-ngcuka-mccarthy-tapes|archive-date=24 September 2015}}</ref>