South Africa

EDITORIAL

The authorities must call Zuma’s bluff

Former president Jacob Zuma supports his son Duduzane at the Randburg Magistrates Court, where he is facing charges of culpable homicide on January 24, 2019 in Randburg, South Africa. (Photo: Gallo Images / Sowetan / Alon Skuy)

It is the only way to halt the ongoing corrosive effect of the former president and his ragtag brigade of Radical Economic Transformation thugs and thieves.

Jacob Zuma’s petulant and cowardly bolt from testifying at the State Capture Inquiry on Thursday after Deputy Judge President Raymond Zondo’s ruling that he would not recuse himself as chair has revealed the depth of the former president’s contempt for the Constitution, the law and South African citizens.

For a man who has claimed to be a victim of all manner of conspiracies and political dark arts, he has spent a fortune avoiding ever having to answer to the serious – if not treasonous – allegations that have been levelled at him by a long list of witnesses who have come forward.

Zuma’s open defiance of the rule of law cannot be countenanced and the only response left now is for the recalcitrant former head of state to be arrested for contempt.

And while the South African law makes clear provision for this, our authorities must finally grow a spine to call Zuma’s bluff, slap him in handcuffs and drag him off to jail.

It is the only way to halt the ongoing corrosive effect of Zuma and his ragtag brigade of Radical Economic Transformation thugs and thieves, precious few of whom are slowly being rounded up by the National Prosecuting Authority.

For two days, Zuma’s legal representative, Muzi Sikhakhane, peppered his argument with nuggets of emotional blackmail suggesting that if Deputy Chief Raymond Zondo did not rule in Zuma’s favour he would have to live with the reputational consequences… whatever that means.

Zuma has now escalated his attack on Zondo by lodging a complaint with the Judicial Service Commission. It is yet another cowardly move to avoid taking responsibility for the mess into which he has plunged South Africa.

For South Africa to have a chance of getting back to normality, Zuma and his cohorts, including former ministers in his Cabinet like Bathabile Dlamini and Malusi Gigaba, who have been declared liars by the courts, must be dealt with. Their lying, cheating and stealing have been a pattern that best describes Zuma’s ruinous presidency.

Laughing and lying in the face of allegations of massive fraud and corruption that has bankrupted South Africa and corroded state institutions has become a natural habit for those implicated in State Capture.

As Lawson Naidoo of the Council for the Advancement of the Constitution (Casac) correctly pointed out, Zuma’s defiance “is a grave matter”.

As the Constitutional Court reminded South Africa in its watershed Nkandla judgment in 2016, said Naidoo, the president is a “Constitutional Being” with a weighty responsibility to uphold and protect the Constitution.

“We believe that Mr Zuma’s responsibility to uphold the rule of law did not end with his resignation from office. By refusing to accept the authority of the Commission, which he himself established, Mr Zuma also sends out a very unfortunate message: that it is possible to defy due process and thereby evade accountability,” said Naidoo.

Zuma, as we have all known, never intended to appear or give evidence before the commission and his shameful and petulant actions on Thursday are a pathetic attempt to escape accountability.

Naidoo is correct when he asserts that “no less than the integrity of the Commission and the rule of law is at stake. This is a very serious moment for South Africa’s constitutional democracy.”

We cannot agree more.

The summons that was legally issued for Zuma to appear before the commission and which he has wilfully defied must result in the full might of the law being brought finally on a man who has remained untouched for so long.

Zuma lives a charmed life while the rest of South Africa suffers the consequences of his reckless non-leadership. It is time for him to face the music. He may indeed believe he is above the law. It is upon all of us to prove him wrong. DM

Gallery

Comments - Please in order to comment.

  • Bee Man says:

    Arrest Zuma? I’ll believe it when I see it… but happy to be proved wrong.

  • Dennis Bailey says:

    So who is brave enough to lay charges? DM? If you do a whole host of others might too. Imagine 100000 charges being laid!

  • Andrew Blaine says:

    Is there any other realistic option for the judiciary, I think not?
    However, it is simply good practice to move carefully to avoid making him into a martyr in the eyes of a significant part of our society! Each step MUST be cast in iron so that he is finally brought to justice, together with his band of brigands?

  • Laurence Erasmus says:

    An innocent man has no reason whatsoever to behave the way Zumba has behaved in this Commission. His actions are treasonous. Time for the NPA to act.

  • Beverley Penny says:

    Excellent Article!
    Zuma must go to jail. As for his Counsel-so called an ‘Officer of the Court’: how does he get away with his rudeness? Of course others are ‘patronising’ him…

  • Rodney Weidemann says:

    In a similar vein to what another commenter posted on another article about this issue: People were sent to jail for having a cigarette in their car, or for breaking curfew by five minutes during stage 4 and 5 lockdown – surely Zuma’s defiance of the court is a more serious offence, ergo, he needs to be arrested and sent to jail!

  • Zan-Pierre Beetge says:

    The predicament of whether to arrest or not to arrest. I agree with you DM, Zuma’s defiance must be answered with the full might of the law. Zuma chose to defy the court order, thus he left the law with no choice. There is no witch hunt or anything the RET faction might oink, nor is it about sending a message. These are the tools the justice system has been given, let us hope justice will be served without fear or favour. Thank you again DM for the awesome content

  • Kanu Sukha says:

    Looking at this charade of ‘justice’ unfolding and observing the other one in the so-called ‘greatest’ nation in the world, I am trying to work out if Zuma took lessons from Trump, or the other way around. Logic tells me that number one has been in office much longer than his reality star colleague… and that means S.A. can crow about another ‘first/leading’ achievement ! Well known ‘basket’ cases excluded.

  • Breeze Cooper says:

    Zuma’s defiance and middle finger in the face of allegations of massive fraud and corruption that has bankrupted South Africa and state institutions has become a signature of his intentions and now his cowardice to face his ‘day in court’ are shown his middle finger again. Do people still believe he cares what he has done, if so they are not facing reality

  • Sergio CPT says:

    Agree 110%!! Enough of this charade. Jail this halfwit, who acts with impunity and thinks that he is above the law and untouchable. Any Joe-citizen behaving like this would be arrested in double-quick time. hHis nothing but a common thief.

  • Luana Nasser says:

    I agree with this editorial and with Lawson Naidoo’s piece on the same subject. And thus with the bulk of the other comments. It’s imperative, however, that Zuma and his allies not be referred to as the “Radical Economic Transformation” group or faction, even if attached to “thugs” or other such terms. This is not a mere terminological quibble. Language–the words, phrases, and epithets, etc. we use–can often do persuasive work that needs to be earned by argument and evidence. Zuma and his allies have nothing to do with radical economic transformation. That is an account of social justice and even if we agree it’s an implausible account, that’s irrelevant. It allows this crew to be identified by a commitment to some sort of vision of justice, plausible or otherwise, which they manifestly lack. They have helped themselves to this epithet. They can’t be allowed to get away with that any more than their acts of thievery.

  • Peter Dexter says:

    Great article. I think JZ believes he’s untouchable and has “dared” the judicial system to arrest him. He shows absolutely no remorse for his actions, and I would not be at all surprised if he doesn’t believe (in his twisted ignorant way) that the head of state has a right to all the “fruits of the nation.” If he is not arrested now then we set the precedent for all similar cases. Contempt of court will no longer be a serious offence.

  • Helen Swingler says:

    Perhaps Shaik will pay his bail. A friend in need…

  • ROBERTA JOYCE says:

    It is like Science Fiction the story of Zuma and his cohorts – not just the thieving and lying, but the ability to stay out of a jail. Who will arrest him, who is brave enough?

  • Mike Viljoen says:

    It’s also about the message that will be sent out to state capture and other criminals by the failure by Zonda to act firmly and promptly against Zuma which we simply cannot afford.
    Arrest him and put him away!

  • Stef Viljoen Viljoen says:

    Couldn’t agree more. I am just suspicious of the ‘walkout’ because his council would know there would be repercussions, and they will be prepared for it. I think there is some kind of agenda.

  • Chris Kirsten says:

    There’s one thing you cannot fault Zuma for; he truly stays in character. Somewhere around 2012 he stated publicly that the law cannot tell politicians what for. Never mind all being under the law. No reaction anywhere in or on any news media. Are you still amazed at his conduct?

    This is the real watershed for our suckered justice system. Zondo misses on this, the country’s down the tubes. Downgraded to Basket Case from Banana Republic.

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