Johannesburg: South Africa’s ex-President Jacob Zuma, facing allegations of corruption, has told an inquiry that he initiated the idea of having an ‘alternative media’ in the country that led to the controversial Indian-origin Gupta family establishing their media empire. Zuma, who was forced to resign in 2018, appeared for the first time on Monday at the inquiry, which is investigating allegations that he oversaw a web of corruption during his term. The allegations against him focus on his relationship with the Gupta family, which was accused of influencing Cabinet appointments and winning lucrative state tenders through corruption. PTI