The war between former president Jacob Zuma and the head of the State Capture Inquiry, DCJ Raymond Zondo continues to brew ahead of a momentous Constitutional Court judgment.
Zuma Foundations lays in on ‘abusive’ Zondo
The latter, however, remains without an official date. Part of this is attributed to the fact that the commission has thrown Zuma a lifeline, giving him until 31 March to reconsider his defiant position and make the much-anticipated appearance at the SCI.
However, despite attempts by the ANC’s top brass to sway the former president, it appears that Zuma is rooted in his disapproval of Zondo and his alleged ‘apartheid’ tactics to deal with him “like how the apartheid government created Sobukwe Laws to deal with Sobukwe.
“This desperation of the Deputy Chief Justice Zondo, abusing his position as the second in charge in the Constitutional Court, instructing his subordinates to bend the laws of the country is unprecedented,” the foundation wrote.
Of course, in this context, the Zuma Foundation is referring to the inquiry plea with the ConCourt to institute a mandatory two-year jail term for Zuma’s defiance of its 28 January ruling.
“The 1947 Act talks about six months’ imprisonment, or 55 pounds fine, not the two years imprisonment that the honourable judge who is chairing the commission alone, suggests,” the foundation added.
‘The laws are being changed to deal with Zuma’
The Zuma Foundation went on to accuse Zondo of leading a lynch effort to bring the former president to his knees, in an alleged calculated political move.
However, without supporting evidence — a careless approach that was recently condemned by President Cyril Ramaphosa — the foundation fanned claims that Zondo is part of a strategy to “deliver [Zuma] to some hidden masters.”
“He ignores process and jurisdictional prescribed in Law, just to ensure that the Zuma State Capture Commission of Inquiry finds President Zuma guilty by hook or crook,” the scathing statement read.
Will Zuma appear before the commission?
By all accounts, it seems pretty clear that the former president has no intentions of gracing the SCI with a return to the hot seat. Ramaphosa, though, has raised some hope in swaying his predecessor.
On Friday, the president informed the South African National Editors’ Forum (SANEF) that the party’s Top Six was due to meet with Zuma for talks on his impasse with the commission.
“There are quite a number of engagements happening, and one of those is an engagement that he is going to be having with the top leadership of the ANC, which should be happening any day soon,” he said.
At this time, it is unclear if this meeting has been held. The commission had not responded to the foundation’s statement at the time this article was published.