South African president to address nation about scandal

JOHANNESBURG (AP) - Opposition lawmakers are heaping criticism on President Jacob Zuma after South Africa's top court said he violated the constitution. But the institution that can oust him - the ruling African National Congress party - has yet to turn on its leader despite reports of internal strains.

Zuma's office said he will respond to the court ruling against him in an address the nation on Friday evening.

The main opposition party, the Democratic Alliance, said Friday that it will push to impeach Zuma after the Constitutional Court ruled that Zuma "failed to uphold" the constitution when he didn't pay back some of the millions of dollars in state funds used to upgrade his private home.

Impeachment requires a two-thirds majority in a vote in a parliament where the ANC party has a comfortable majority and has already defeated a no-confidence motion against Zuma this year. The Constitutional Court also ruled Thursday that parliament failed in its obligations by not holding Zuma to account in the spending scandal.

Democratic Alliance leader Mmusi Maimane said ruling party lawmakers should act against Zuma if their professed respect for the constitutional is genuine.

"If you are serious about that, then you can't have Jacob Zuma," Maimane said.

While some ruling party members have said, without referring to Zuma's leadership, that they respect the Constitutional Court's judgment, at least one faction said it still supports him. The women's league of the ANC said Zuma earlier offered to pay back some money for home upgrades, though critics described that as a late ploy to avoid the Constitutional Court hearing.

"Our faith and support for President Jacob Zuma remains unshaken," the women's league said.

In a separate scandal that alarmed ruling party leaders, Zuma was accused of allegedly improper links to the Guptas, a wealthy business family whose business associates include Zuma's son Duduzane. The president dismissed allegations that the Guptas played a role in selecting some Cabinet ministers.