AFRICAN MIRROR REPORTER
SOUTH Africa’s highest court – the Constitutional Court – will hear the case against the country’s former president Jacob Zuma on March 25.
Deputy Chief Justice Raymond Zondo, who chairs the judicial commission into state capture, theft and corruption, approached the Constitutional Court on an urgent basis, to convict Zuma of contempt and impose a two year prison sentence on him.
The Constitutional Court yesterday issued directions in terms of which Zuma has until March 8 to file a response to the case made by the Zondo Commission.
The commission approached the court after Zuma ignored its summons for him to appear and testify before the commission.
Zuma responded with a strongly-worded statement, in which he attacked Zondo and the SA judiciary.
The announcement of the date for the matter to be heard came days after the start of attempts to find a political solution.
Police Minister Bheki Cele has met with Zuma, in an attempt to convince him to soften his stance against the Zondo commission and the Constitutional Court.
The ANC’s attempt to find a political solution to an unprecedented standoff between a former head of state and the highest court in the land, came after Zuma’s repeated stand that he will not appear before the Zondo Commission.
Zuma’s stance came after the commission, chaired by Zondo, announced it would approach the Constitutional Court and seek a conviction as well as a prison term.
Zuma then made it clear that he was ready to face the consequences of his decision.
“Now that it seems that my role in the Commission has come to an end, I wait to face the sentence to be issued by the Constitutional Court. Accordingly, I stand by my statement of 1 February 2021 and no amount of intimidation or blackmail will
Yesterday, the Jacob Zuma Foundation launched an attack on Zondo, accusing him of abusing his position.
