Former public protector Thuli Madonsela was among those who wished ex-president Jacob Zuma a happy birthday on Thursday.

"Happy birthday former President Jacob Zuma. Blessings in the year ahead‚" Madonsela said in a tweet.

Zuma turns 76 on Thursday.

In her time in office‚ Madonsela played a crucial part in exposing alleged corruption in Zuma’s administration. She had released a report‚ titled State of Capture‚ in November 2016‚ detailing allegations of an improper relationship between Zuma‚ some state officials and the controversial Gupta family‚ who are in business with his son Duduzane.

Zuma had attacked the report‚ accusing Madonsela of passing the buck by not completing the investigation and instead calling for a judicial commission of inquiry to further probe the allegations.

Sharing a birthday with Zuma is former finance minister and incumbent public enterprises minister Pravin Gordhan. Madonsela also wished him a happy birthday. Gordhan turns 69.

Gordhan and former deputy finance minister Mcebisi Jonas were fired by Zuma after being recalled from an overseas trip last year. Zuma cited an intelligence report as the basis for removing the two.