Former South African president Jacob Zuma Saturday accused his successor President Cyril Ramaphosa of treason and corruption. Speaking for the first time since serving a 15-month jail term for contempt of court, Zuma declared, “[n]o president should conduct private business while in office. It is not allowed. Our country’s problems are too big for a president who is busy hustling on the side.” He emphasized that “[c]onducting private business while holding the high office of president is nothing but corruption, which is inconsistent with the nature of that office and the constitution.”

Zuma also criticized Ramaphosa’s decision to suspend Public Protector Busisiwe Mkhwebane, a constitutionally mandated anti-corruption official. Zuma said the institution was established to uphold the Constitution and suspending it would jeopardize the interest of the people of South Africa. Zuma’s statements come just two months ahead of the convention of the ruling African National Congress party; Ramaphosa is expected to face fierce competition to retain party leadership.

Ramaphosa’s scandals began in June after ex-national spy and intelligence chief Arthur Fraser filed a police complaint alleging that robbers broke into Ramaphosa’s Phala Phala farm in northeastern South Africa, where they found $4 million in cash hidden in furniture. According to local media, the complaint accuses Ramaphosa of concealing the money from tax authorities, hiding the robbery from the police, organizing the kidnapping and interrogation of the robbers and bribing them to keep quiet. National Assembly speaker Nosiviwe Mapisa-Nqakula named a panel comprised of ex-chief justice Sandile Ngcobo, a former prominent high court judge and a university professor, to have 30 days to report its findings on the complaint filed.