Zuma has reached the end of legal road – analysts

FORMER President Jacob Zuma has reached the end of the road after the Constitutional Court rejected his rescission application yesterday.

Analysts said he could not play another card after the court’s decision.

Delivering judgment, Justice Sisi Khampepe said the majority ruling found Zuma did not meet the statutory requirements of a rescission.

“The majority emphatically rejects any suggestion that litigants can be allowed to butcher, of their own will, judicial process which in all respects has been carried out with the utmost degree of regularity, only to later plead the absent victim. Elected absence like that of Mr Zuma constitutes more than litigious skulduggery, which does not have the effect of turning a competently granted order into one erroneously granted,” said Justice Khampepe.

Political analyst Jamie Mighti said Zuma could not appeal the judgment.

“He cannot appeal unless he goes to an international court, the African Court for Human and People’s rights, for example,” said Mighti.

Another political analyst, Dr Ralph Mathekga, said this was the end of the road for Zuma.

“Zuma has disrespected the judiciary, deciding when to present himself. I think the court is sending a message,” Mathekga said.

The Council for the Advancement of the South African Constitution (Casac) said this was now a closed matter. Casac research officer Dan Mafora said the judgment was a straightforward matter.

“Rescission is a unique remedy that the courts don’t usually grant. We did not expect this case to be different, particularly because of the facts of the case of how it came about.”

Mafora said it was important because once there was no end to a litigation process, there was no legal certainty and people were not able to plan their lives, because they did not know what the law was.

Zuma is already on medical parole. Mafora said it was important to separate the two matters, the parole and the rescission application. He said the two were completely different.