ANC to give Zuma space to consult with legal team over commission
The ANC’s top officials, after meeting with Jacob Zuma, have agreed to give the former president space to continue consulting with his lawyers on whether he will appear before the Zondo commission, secretary-general Ace Magashule said.
The party’s top six met with Zuma on Monday virtually, to discuss his decision to defy an order of the Constitutional Court that he must appear before the state capture commission to answer questions.
Zuma’s defiance of the apex court order led to the inquiry filing a contempt of court application and asking that he be jailed for two years.
This was after Zuma failed to pitch up for his appearance on February 15, having earlier said he was prepared to go to prison.
After the seven-hour meeting, Magashule said the meeting went very well and they discussed the constitution and the Bill of Rights and the former president’s decision not to “present himself physically” to the Zondo commission.
“We all agreed the constitution of the country is an important instrument in the lives of all South Africans,” he said.
“[Zuma] made an expansive presentation on what promoted his decision to not appear … and he also talked about his rights as enshrined in the constitution of SA and the rights of all South Africans, and we all agreed there has not been any intention to undermine the constitution.”
‘UNFAIR PERSECUTION’
Magashule said Zuma told the ANC officials he believed he had been subjected to unfair persecution and prosecution over the last two decades and that he “emphasised that as a law-abiding citizen he respects the constitution and he is also entitled to basic rights enshrined in the constitution”.
The meeting between the governing party’s officials comes after Zuma last month met EFF leader Julius Malema at his Nkandla home in KwaZuluNatal. Malema was joined by ANC members Mzwandile Masina and Tony Yengeni — seen to be aligned to Zuma and Magashule. It was reported at the time that the group asked Zuma to reconsider his position on facing the commission.
Magashule has previously said he did not believe that Zuma had done anything wrong.
During Monday’s briefing, the secretary-general said Zuma had not refused to appear before the commission, but that his issue lay with deputy chief justice Raymond Zondo, who chairs the inquiry.
Zuma last year tried to have Zondo recuse himself as the commission chair, an application the deputy chief justice dismissed. Zuma has lodged an application in court to review this decision, which is pending.
The former president used this as an excuse for why he did not arrive at the commission last month.
Magashule said differing with judges did not mean the judiciary was being disrespected.
This comes against the backdrop of fierce attacks on the judiciary by Zuma and Malema, who in parliament raised unsubstantiated allegations of bribery of judges.
“People have been critical of judges, and this is not the first time,” Magashule said.
“Therefore we confined ourselves to [discussing] respect of the constitution, the Bill of Rights and individual rights. We agreed this is fundamental to our democracy.”
[ZUMA] MADE AN EXPANSIVE PRESENTATION ON WHAT PROMOTED HIS DECISION TO NOT APPEAR