SOUTH AFRICA SUFFERS

JOHANNESBURG : South Africa's top court ruled that parliament failed to hold President Jacob Zuma to account in a scandal over multi-million-dollar upgrades to his private home, in a decision likely to escalate pressure on him to resign.

The Constitutional Court's ruling yesterday has followed its conclusion last year that Zuma violated the constitution when he benefited inappropriately from state funding for his Nkandia home.

It was one of a series of presidential scandals that have tarnished the reputation of the ruling African National Congress, the main anti-apartheid movement that has led South Africa since the first all-race elections in 1994.

Zuma has survived opposition efforts to oust him in votes of no confidence in parliament, where the ANC party has a majority.

Frustrated by setbacks in the National Assembly, the opposition went to court as part of their campaign to impeach Zuma, who has lost support among ruling party loyalists.