Zuma sees no need to quiz Jonas, Vytjie
Lawyers defend JZ despite strong evidence
Former president Jacob Zuma doesn’t believe any of the evidence led in the State Capture Inquiry so far implicates him in criminal or ethical wrongdoing – and has not applied to cross-examine witnesses.
Zuma – who was yesterday accused of “protecting” a delinquent cabinet minister accused of wanting to “steal at all costs” – has never responded under oath to the state capture allegations against him.
He refused to answer a single one of then public protector Thuli Madonsela’s questions during a four-hour long interview, on the basis that he wanted to get legal advice before he did so.
Questioned about former deputy finance minister Mcebisi Jonas’s claims that the Guptas had offered him the finance minister post, Zuma previously responded: “Ask Jonas.”
In the two weeks of testimony, commission head Deputy Chief Justice Raymond Zondo has heard several witnesses implicating Zuma in state capture – most notably by former Government Communications and Information Systems (GCIS) CEO Themba Maseko and former ANC MP Vytjie Mentor.
In a letter written to the Zondo Commission, Zuma’s attorney Daniel Mantsha said the statements given by Jonas, Mentor and Maseko do not contain evidence that Zuma violated the law. This, however, does not mean Zuma will not give evidence at the inquiry. He can be subpoenaed to testify, should Zondo believe that he has information that is required for the commission to get to the truth.
Acting GCIS CEO Phumla Williams yesterday told journalists she hoped that Zuma would address the allegations against him, and explain why he had seemingly protected then communications minister Faith Muthambi – who she accused of wanting “to steal at all costs”.
The leaked Gupta e-mails revealed evidence that Muthambi leaked confidential cabinet memos to the Guptas, in an apparent effort to assist their business interests.
In her testimony at the commission, Williams said she turned to Zuma after Muthambi, without any consultation or explanation, restructured GCIS so that Williams would no longer exercise any form of oversight over procurement.
“What is most painful is that [then] president Zuma knows what I went through. He knows exactly my pain of torture, so I don’t understand why he would actually keep quiet and not intervene,” she told Sowetan after completing her evidence. “I’m hoping that he will find an opportunity to explain. I’m hoping that he will find it in himself to explain.”
Zuma’s lawyers maintain that the evidence led so far does not show that he violated the Public Finance Management Act, Criminal Procedure Act, Executive Members Act or the Preventative and Combating of Corrupt Activities Act.
Jonas has testified that a Gupta brother, either Ajay or Rajesh, tried to bribe and threaten him into taking over then finance minister Nhlanhla Nene’s position and doing the family’s bidding.
He claimed the brother told him that the family controlled Zuma. Months after that alleged meeting, Zuma removed Nene and replaced him briefly with Des van Rooyen.
Williams on Monday gave explosive evidence about how Muthambi’s mistreatment of her revived the trauma of her apartheid-era torture. “Minister Muthambi, or rather this woman … minister Muthambi had ripped my scars of torture, completely, completely … I was no longer sleeping, I had nightmares … I had panic attacks. I saw torture going through my body again. I never thought in this government, people can do such things.
“I still have nightmares ... but I’m taking it that maybe it has to be this raw, because this is what they did to our country. Maybe this is what I have to deal with, and I’m hoping that the commission is going to help.”