Zuma’s contempt for people and the legal process

Most responsible citizens arrange their affairs around the days that they have to be in court for a criminal trial. If they do not show up and do not provide a good reason, they are considered fugitives of justice and a warrant of arrest is issued. It happens almost every single day of the week in magistrate’s courts across the country.

A former president is no different. Jacob Zuma has on dozens of occasions claimed he wants his day in court. And yet, he has done everything in his power to avoid it. And his power as a former head of state is considerable. Zuma is a man with plenty of money and influence. As an ex-president he continues to enjoy both his annual salary of R2.8m as well as many of the perks of state, including security and free medical treatment.

The courts are enjoined by the constitution to treat everyone who appears before them equally.

No one is above the law, and whether it is Joe Average or Jacob Zuma who puts before the court a suspect sick note, they must be called to account.

But, Zuma’s legal representatives and his supporters seem to expect certain things of the court that no other citizen can expect. These include that the court accept it is not worthy of knowing the nature of his illness as it is a “matter of national security”, that it is so serious it requires him being booked off for 18 weeks, and that it requires that he be treated in a foreign country.

Zuma’s bouts of secret illness always coincide with the days on which he finally has to face the music, whether before the state capture commission or a court of law. He was a no-show before the commission in November last year and again in January this year. And, of course, he missed his criminal court date as well on the basis of a sick note which said: “Layman’s diagnosis: Medical condition”.

While he is seemingly too ill to appear in court, he returned at the weekend with some fanfare to the country and spoke with vim, vigour and not a little sarcasm to a crowd at the airport.

We look forward on his next appearance in May to the explanation by both Zuma and his doctor of the problematic sick note.

To date, his behaviour suggests he has nothing but contempt for people and process.

He missed his criminal court date on the basis of a sick note that said: ‘Layman’s diagnosis: Medical condition’