Presidency shrugs off latest ‘harassment campaign’ missive, while Zuma foundation spokesperson dons red beret 

The Presidency said on Friday that it will not waste time considering former president Jacob Zuma’s “illogical demands” for President Cyril Ramaphosa to remove Chief Justice Raymond Zondo from his post.

“Beneath Mr Zuma’s guise of a self-proclaimed and righteous guardian of our constitutional democracy is a contemptuous denial of President Ramaphosa’s leadership of the governing party and the country,” Presidency spokesperson, Vincent Magwenya told Daily Maverick. 

“Mr Zuma continues to demonstrate his scornful attitude towards democratic processes that do not pander to his desires and whims. His derision towards the country’s democratic institutions and legal processes continues unabated and knows no boundaries,” he continued.

The Presidency’s response comes after Zuma, through his lawyers Ntanga Nkuhlu Inc Attorneys wrote to President Ramaphosa this week, challenging the rationality of the appointment of Judge Zondo as South Africa’s Chief Justice. 

In the five-page letter, the ex-president’s lawyers demand that Ramaphosa remove Zondo as Chief Justice before 11 May 2023. 

Additionally, they demand that Ramaphosa provide reasons for, what they claim was an “irrational decision” on Ramaphosa’s behalf to appoint Zondo as Chief Justice. 

“Failure to comply with any or all of the abovementioned demands will result in our clients instituting urgent legal proceedings in the appropriate court without giving further notice to you.”

Responding to the letter, Magwenya said that Zuma “could continue with another frivolous court action if he so desires.”

The presidency viewed "this latest missive from Mr Zuma as another element of his broader harassment campaign aimed at the President", he said.

This is one of the former president’s many offensives against President Ramaphosa, including a private prosecution where he accuses Ramaphosa of being an accessory to criminal conduct relating to the alleged unauthorised disclosure of medical information in Zuma’s private prosecution of veteran prosecutor Billy Downer — who will be prosecuting the Arms Deal graft trial in which Zuma is accused number one — and journalist Karyn Maughan. 

Zuma’s attempt to drag Ramaphosa before a privately funded court was blocked by the Johannesburg high court in January this year. 

Ramaphosa appointed Zondo as South Africa’s Chief Justice in March 2022, with Judge Mandisa Maya his deputy. Zondo had already been acting in the position for several months while Ramaphosa’s decision was awaited. He assumed the post with 25 years of experience on the Bench, and is a widely trusted household name; consequence of his work chairing the State Capture Commission, Daily Maverick’s Rebecca Davis wrote. 

In the letter addressed to the President, Zuma’s lawyers said that, “all the three nominees performed far better than Judge Zondo and he was determined to be the least suitable or an unsuitable candidate”.

“It is therefore inexplicable and seemingly irrational that you nevertheless elected to ignore or overlook the informed recommendations of the JSC in making the relevant appointment.”

Zuma’s lawyers claimed that Zondo’s appointment was accompanied by “ulterior, illegal and unconstitutional and personal motives” on Ramaphosa’s behalf. 

The ex-president’s lawyers further accused Zondo of prejudice and having violated Zuma’s rights by “making adverse findings against him in the report of the State Capture Commission, even though he unlawfully failed to give him a fair hearing.” Additionally, his lawyers claimed that Zondo had “gratuitously insulted” Zuma by making “adverse, unjustified and irrational political statements” against him unbefitting of the Chief Justice when giving a recent lecture at the University of Fort Hare. 

“Given the former president’s publicly announced intention to challenge the findings of the so-called Zondo Commission, such conduct on the part of Judge Zondo constituted the proverbial last straw,” his lawyers continued.

This is not the first time Zuma has unleashed a torrent of grievances against the Chief Justice. Days after Zondo handed President Ramaphosa the final part of the State Capture report in June 2022, Zuma claimed Zondo harboured a “hatred” and “deep-seated resentment” toward him. 

The Jacob Zuma Foundation spokesperson, Mzwanele Manyi had, at the time, threatened that Zuma’s legal team would approach the JSC to institute wide-ranging grievances against Zondo while simultaneously asking the courts to adjudicate on the matters. 

“The Judicial Services Commission (JSC) deals with complaints against judges. Mr Zuma can address his complaints directly to the JSC,” Magwenya told Daily Maverick on Friday. 

JZ Foundation spokesperson ditches ATM, joins EFF

The Jacob Zuma Foundation’s letter demanding Zondo’s removal as the country’s Chief Justice comes amid the Foundation’s spokesperson, Mzwanele Manyi’s decision to resign from the African Transformation Union (ATM) to join the EFF. 

Manyi announced he had joined the Red Berets on Twitter on Friday, to “make a contribution in freeing South Africa from neo-colonialism; rampant corruption; and to rescue the country from the imminent failed state situation.”  

Today I join the Revolution Movement, @EFFSouthAfrica as a card carrying member, to make a contribution in freeing South Africa from neo-colonialism; rampant corruption; and to rescue the country from the imminent failed state situation. Aykhale!! pic.twitter.com/aF7krfLsnk

— Mzwanele Manyi (@MzwaneleManyi) May 5, 2023

Welcoming Manyi to the party on Twitter, EFF leader Julius Malema said his credentials “speak volumes”.

On behalf of our @EFFSouthAfrica ground forces, I want to take this opportunity to welcome fighter @MzwaneleManyi to his political home. We are honoured to have you as part of our family; remember, we are one people of the African continent.

Your credentials speak volumes, and…

— Julius Sello Malema (@Julius_S_Malema) May 5, 2023

The former head of policy at the ATM was seen marching alongside EFF leader Julius Malema at the party’s “national shutdown” march in Pretoria on 20 March this year, alongside other notable figures including former president Jacob Zuma’s daughter, Duduzile, and leader of the African Radical Economic Transformation Alliance, Carl Niehaus. Manyi did not wear any of the EFF’s regalia, but a black T-shirt branded, “Shutdown”. 

Read in Daily Maverick: Political minnows join EFF’s national protest, but the big fish all give it a miss

Daily Maverick sent queries to Manyi but did not receive a response by the time of publication. DM