Zuma ‘not dodging testimony’

● Ex-president co-operating with state capture probe, lawyers insist

Former president Jacob Zuma is not scared to testify at the state capture inquiry and will do so when invited, his lawyer says.

“He has no reason not to cooperate, he has never not cooperated. He’s not running away and he is not scared to come,” Zuma’s attorney, Daniel Mantsha, said on Thursday.

“Therefore he should not be treated like he is a suspect or an accused person.

“Why can’t you sit down with him, and ask him, can you help us with this and that?”

Zuma’s lawyers issued a statement earlier insisting that he was co-operating with the inquiry – and hit back at deputy chief justice Raymond Zondo’s request for him to respond to the evidence against him as unfortunate.

“Former president Zuma made an election in terms of the rules of the commission that he will not apply to crossexamine the witnesses who allegedly implicated him or may implicate him,” Zuma’s legal team said in the statement.

“It would seem that despite him co-operating with the commission, his election (in terms of the commission’s own rules) is misunderstood as nonco-operation.

“We find this very unfortunate since former president Zuma has sent his legal representatives to every sitting of the commission where the alleged evidence which may implicate him was being given, and further he has honoured through his legal team all the requests which were brought to the attention of his legal team by the commission.”

Zuma’s lawyers issued the statement hours after Zondo revealed that he had invited Zuma to respond to specific allegations made against him by former government communications head Themba Maseko and ex-ANC MP Vytjie Mentor.

Zondo also ruled that Ajay and Rajesh Gupta would not be given the right to cross-examine the witnesses against them – unless they agreed to testify, and face cross-examination, in SA.

He also dismissed the Guptas’ proposals that the commission staff either travel overseas to hear their evidence, or hear it in SA via video link.

The Guptas have yet to respond to the ruling.

Following that decision, Zondo referred to a letter written by Zuma’s lawyers to the commission last week.

“It was announced that former president Jacob Zuma had taken the view that he is not implicated by any of the witnesses so far and that is why he did not apply for the right for him to cross-examine anybody.

“Nevertheless, there are some areas where I would like him to deal with, for example, the evidence of Miss Mentor that, while she was at the Gupta residence, when she got agitated and became loud, the former president emerged from one of the rooms and they spoke and he walked her to the car, as well as the evidence of Mr Maseko, that he got a call from [Zuma when] he was leaving his offices to attend a meeting with Mr Ajay Gupta.

“I have invited the lawyers and indicated my wish that he could put this in an affidavit to assist the commission.”

Zuma’s lawyers say he will reply as soon as he has consulted with his team.

Zondo granted Zuma’s son, Duduzane, leave to cross-examine Mcebisi Jonas‚ as he has now agreed to give evidence.