Jail awaits Zuma if he fails to show up in court
Former president Jacob Zuma risks being thrown in the back of a police van and hauled before a judge if he fails to show up for his next court appearance.
Judge Dhaya Pillay yesterday issued a warrant of arrest for Zuma after he was a no-show at what should have been the start of his trial in the KwaZulu-Natal High Court in Pietermaritzburg.
The warrant was, however, stayed until May, which means it will not be effected until then.
His lawyers argued that Zuma was sick and handed in a note, signed by a military doctor, stating he had a “medical condition”.
But, said constitutional law professor Pierre de Vos yesterday, the court required solid proof.
“There needs to be a much clearer indication that he really can’t attend. It’s not like a primary school test where there can just be a note that says he’s ‘sick’.”
De Vos said Zuma had to come to court. “This is a bid to try and secure his attendance unless he actually has a valid excuse … It’s a mechanism to force him either to attend or to produce more credible evidence that he’s ill.
“He will have to be at the next appearance because if he’s not, he will be arrested.”
De Vos said if Zuma could produce evidence that he was suffering from a legitimate illness and as such could not attend court, the judge would have to postpone proceedings yet again.
Zuma, together with French arms dealer Thint, is facing a string of fraud and corruption charges. This follows allegations that Zuma found himself on the receiving end of dodgy payments after signing off on a controversial multibillion-rand deal with Thint in the ’90s.
Former National Prosecuting Authority boss Mokotedi Mpshe in 2009 dropped charges against Zuma after the “spy tapes” were presented in court. The charges were reinstated in 2018.