Call to ‘shield’ JZ from arrest

FRAUD and corruption accused former president Jacob Zuma’s staunch supporters have vowed to continue backing him, with one ANC leader even suggesting human shields be deployed to Nkandla to prevent his arrest.

National director of prosecutions Shaun Abrahams reinstated the 18 counts of fraud, corruption, racketeering, money laundering and tax fraud against Zuma on Friday.

But aggrieved former ANC Youth League deputy president Andile Lungisa, Doctor Bhengu, chairperson of the ANC’S Msholozi branch in Nkandla, and the umkhonto wesizwe Military Veterans’ Association (MKMVA) have slammed the decision.

Lungisa said the country’s top prosecutor’s reasons were “just a fallacy” and an attack on Zuma. He claimed there was nothing of substance in the indictment and that the arms deal commission of inquiry headed by Supreme Court of Appeal Judge Willie Seriti found nothing against Zuma.

“The masses of our people must go to Nkandla to act as shields if they come to take him. If they want to arrest him, they must arrest the masses,” said the former ANC Eastern Cape provincial executive committee member.

Lungisa said he was not calling for Zuma not to go to court, but that it was wrong for the National Prosecuting Authority (NPA) to proceed with the charges against Zuma.

According to Lungisa, the reinstatement of the charges was the continuation of Zuma’s persecution by his enemies, including the media.

Yesterday, Bhengu, who beat Zuma’s controversial son Edward to the position last year, said residents of the former president’s Kwanxamalala village were not pleased. “People are complaining. We are very angry,” he said.

He described the decision as a plot by Zuma’s enemies but was confident he would emerge unscathed from the case.

Bhengu demanded that the matter be heard by a full bench not one high court judge.

”We will support him when he appears in court,” he said.

Bhengu said Zuma was in his Kwadakwadunuse homestead in the village as he had seen his motorcade yesterday.

The MKMVA, which claims Zuma as a member, said it would be inappropriate not to raise concern whether it would be possible for him to receive a fair and unbiased trial in the context of the decade-long and vicious personal and politically-motivated attacks that have been launched against him.

“This must be a matter of genuine concern because there can be no doubt that every South African citizen – including all judges – have been bombarded and influenced by the avalanche of negative publicity, character assassination and kangaroo courts that have been conducted against Zuma,” the association said.

DA leader Mmusi Maimane repeated his call for the government not to pay Zuma’s legal fees for the corruption trial, or face having the agreement signed for him to have his costs covered taken on review.

“There can be no secret deal with a private citizen to use public resources,” he said.

He also demanded that the R15.3 million that the presidency has paid for Zuma’s legal fees be recouped.

The MKMVA was angered by Maimane’s champagne-popping celebration outside the NPA’S head office in Silverton, Tshwane, after the reinstatement of the charges. The celebration was infantile behaviour, the association said.

Yesterday, Zuma’s lawyer Michael Hulley said a review of Abrahams’s decision to reinstate charges against his client was the likely course of action. He said a final decision would be made after careful consideration and in consultation with Zuma.

He said Abrahams gave a terse response to Zuma’s representations and no clear rationale for rejecting them.