Jacob Zuma’s legal team says the former president did not illegally leave the commission on Thursday morning.
“I disagree (that they are in breach of the law and that Zuma committed an offence). We asked to be excused,” said Zuma’s instructing attorney Eric Mabuza.
He said that Zuma could not stay on to be part of proceedings after the commission broke for tea as advocate Muzi Sikhakhane had already told Judge Raymond Zondo that Zuma intended taking his recusal judgment on review.
Zondo ruled on Thursday that he would not recuse himself, saying Zuma’s team had not satisfied the legal requirements for bias.
Zuma does a runner after Zondo sets out a three-part judicial smackdown to recusal bid
Moments after Zondo delivered his judgment, Sikhakhane said: “We will excuse ourselves right now.”
“The instruction is to review your decision when you finally give us a copy (of the judgment). The issues are not common cause [meaning there is no agreement].
“We will complain to the JSC (the Judicial Services Commission) because you have made yourself a witness and a judge.”
Head of the commission’s legal team, Paul Pretorius, told Zondo that “it is not up to the applicant (Zuma) to simply excuse himself – it’s your decision”.
Pretorius added: “Notwithstanding the decision to review, the proceedings must continue. If they are excusing themselves from proceedings, Zuma is acting in defiance of the summons and (acting) unlawfully – it is up to you, chair, to decide whether the proceedings continue or are stayed pending (the application to review).”
The commission then took its usual tea break at 11am, at which time Zuma and his team left.
On returning from tea, Zondo looked crestfallen to find that Zuma had left.
“He is not coming back. It is a pity he has left,” Zondo said.
“The commission will reflect on matters it needs to reflect on.”
Zuma was meant to appear again tomorrow, but Zondo cancelled the sitting on the grounds that the former president would not be there.
Meanwhile, Mabuza said their rejected application for recusal would be taken on review to the North Gauteng High Court.
Earlier in the week, Sikhakhane told Zondo that, “Even if we lose, we will review you. If you force me to bring him (Zuma) here without a climate being created for fairness, I will put him there (in the witness chair) and he will exercise his right to say nothing.” DM
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Why on earth does the commission not carry on sitting. Zuma’s counsel had already stated that Zuma would not respond to questions if Zondo did not recuse himself. The running away is just part of the delaying Stalingrad tactics. Zuma should be dealt with in exactly the same manner as any other witness under summons who runs away from the commission.
I suppose that since former Pres. Zuma was supposed to testify all week and has now done a supposed runner , then there is not enough time to bring forward the witnesses for next week. It put a spanner in the works so to speak.
what would happen if I as accused got up and walked out having been summonsed? The judiciary is along with media one of our last pillars. The Law needs to take its course and be seen to take its course! Force Zuma to come and sit and refuse to answer at the minimum. I wonder how long he could contain himself before unleashing …
If Zuma gets away with this we all have been given permission by the state to disobey the law.
Ran away he did! True grit? No!
What a joke of a country! No, not the US of A (but that too), but this country called ????, (it used to be South Africa). A minister of police (really?), a minister of home affairs (what a joke of a human speciman), allowing a so-called prophet to escape the country, after being out on bail! And then, the insult of all insults, a criminal previous president that plays around with our so-called judiciary and security/police fraternity, as if it is the latest video game. What a joke of a country!
Lol. “I didn’t run away. I calmly walked out the door”. Semantics Jacob, semantics.