JZ tries so hard to hide proof of his innocence

ACOLLEAGUE battles to contain his laughter every time President Jacob Zuma opens his mouth to talk about crime and corruption. Not because Zuma is guilty of either crime, but because he fights against any process that could prove his innocence.

The mind boggles at the latest decision by the president’s legal team to appeal against the ruling of the High Court in Pretoria, which instructed the National Prosecution Authority (NPA) to hand over the spy tapes and all related material that led to the dropping of charges against Zuma.

Here is a man who swore he was the innocent victim of a nefarious and vindictive plot by senior politicians and state agencies to ruin him politically. Yet he is working very hard to quash the proof of his innocence.

He also felt at the time that his accusers were merely trying to frustrate his ascendancy to the highest office. So convinced was he of this that in his signature tune, Mshini Wam (Bring me my machine gun), he creatively added another line to the chorus: “Haai uya ngi bambezela” (You are delaying me).

Zuma sold his sob story to his comrades, who in turn did everything they could to fight his cause and persuade the masses that this was the man to back. Yet the cloud above him would not dissipate. He may not have been on trial at the High Court in Durban, but Judge Hilary Squires’s verdict and conviction of Schabir Shaik made it clear that Zuma had questions to answer.

Although Shaik claimed that his financial dealings were legitimate, the court found him guilty of corruption for paying Zuma R1.2-million to further their relationship and for soliciting a bribe from the French arms company Thomson-CSF.

It also found him guilty of fraud for writing off more than R1-million of Zuma’s unpaid debts.

No matter how much Zuma tries to erase them, these words by the judge are etched in history and memory: “Since all the accused companies were used at one time or another to pay sums of money to Jacob Zuma in contravention of section 1(1) (a) (i) or (ii) of the Corruption Act and accused No 1 directed them to that end or made payments himself, all the accused are found guilty on the main charge.”

But Zuma continued to argue that there was malice behind his prosecution. We remember how the acting head of the NPA, Mokotedi Mpshe, handed him a lifeline by confirming the conspiracy. The decision by Mpshe was, and remains, of huge significance. It opened the way for Zuma to be the president and it changed history.

Although the NPA is now arguing that the transcripts are confidential, Judge Rami Mathopo disagrees. In his ruling last week, he said that “the NPA has a duty to explain to the citizenry why and how . . . Mpshe arrived at the decision to quash the criminal charges against Zuma in pursuance of its constitutional obligations”.

Zuma, of course, has a constitutional right to appeal against the court’s decision, but here is what is baffling: Why is he trying so hard to keep secret that which he alleges proves his innocence? Is this not a perfect opportunity for him to prove that he was right all along and that his detractors unjustly pursued him? Does he not want to get on with the mammoth task of leading the country, being a husband to his four wives and father to his many children? Surely it is in his interest for the proof of innocence to be heard at last.

It is almost comical how he is holding on to evidence that proves him innocent and others guilty. Does he not see this dark cloud over his head?

But, as one of my Twitter friends says: “The cloud is not a concern to the president. Being hauled before court is. Also, there is no underground bunker in jail.”