South Africa's former President Jacob Zuma says he has launched a private prosecution against his successor Cyril Ramaphosa.

The announcement was made by the Jacob Zuma Foundation which on Thursday night said President Ramaphosa was charged for "serious crimes" but did not specify the alleged offence.

“President Cyril Ramaphosa has been charged in a private prosecution with the criminal offence of being accessory after the fact in the crimes committed by among others Advocate Downer namely, breaching the provisions of the [National Prosecuting Authority] NPA Act,” the foundation said in a statement.

It added that the crimes carry a sentence of 15 years imprisonment.

BREAKING
President Ramaphosa criminaly charged pic.twitter.com/W8HIL00sHP

— JGZuma Foundation (Official) (@JGZ_Foundation) December 15, 2022

In a response on Twitter on Friday, President Ramaphosa accused Mr Zuma of "abuse of legal processes".

He termed the charges "completely spurious and unfounded".

PRESIDENT RAMAPHOSA REJECTS ZUMA’S ABUSE OF PRIVATE PROSECUTION PROCESSES

President Cyril Ramaphosa rejects with the utmost contempt Mr. Jacob Zuma’s abuse of legal processes and perversion of the ‘nolle prosequi’ (private prosecution) provision.

— Presidency | South Africa 🇿🇦 (@PresidencyZA) December 16, 2022