ZUMA TAKES VEILED SWIPE AT JUDICIARY

… mocks political opponents in public address

JOHANNESBURG - During his first public appearance after the end of his 15-month sentence, former president Jacob Zuma made a veiled attack on the judiciary while also mocking his political opponents.

Zuma, who received a warm welcome from a large crowd at Freedom Park opposite the Pietermaritzburg High Court, thanked his supporters for backing him throughout his prison sentence. He also claimed that his arrest last year was unwarranted.

“I am prepared for whatever might come my way. The struggle is not yet over. I want to thank you, especially, because when times were tough and I was sent to prison for 15 months, you were there,” he told supporters.

“The sad part was that I was arrested for no reason at all. The real reason was because I refused to heed the advice of judges of the Constitutional Court when they asked me to do something that was against the Constitution when they were trying to force me to answer questions even against my own will, which is against the law. “When they insisted, I then said I would not go to their court; they could do whatever they wanted. I will repeat this again if they take the same stance,” threatened Zuma. In March 2021, Zuma chose not to file an answering affidavit to the Zondo commission’s application asking the Constitutional Court to sentence him to a prison term for contempt.

Zuma flouted the 2020 order compelling him to return to the commission to give testimony, leaving the commission with no choice but to ask the court to find him in contempt and jail him.

However, on Monday, Zuma portrayed himself as a victim of the judiciary.

Zuma also mocked ANC national chairperson Gwede Mantashe, who had said that Zuma putting his hand up to challenge him in December was the biggest joke of the year. Zuma called Mantashe’s comments “absurd.” – NEWS24.