South African inquiry panel to seek jail term for ex-president Jacob Zuma for defying summons

Zuma has insisted that he will not appear before the panel unless his president, whom he has accused of bias, resigns.

Archive image of Jacob Zuma. Reuters

Johannesburg: The head of a South African commission of inquiry into alleged state corruption has said he would seek former President Jacob Zuma to be found in contempt of court for his persistent refusal to continue testifying at hearings and to impose a jail sentence if convicted.

Last year, Zuma walked out of a hearing at the South African State Capture Commission of Inquiry without the president’s permission, which was held in contempt of court.

Zuma has insisted that he will not return unless the President of the Commission, Vice President of the Supreme Court Raymond Zondo, resigns.

The former president has stated that he would not get a fair hearing because Zondo, he alleged, is biased against him, something that Zondo has denied.

His own African National Congress asked the former president to resign three years ago amid widespread public outrage over allegations of his role in the state capture, especially by the Gupta family, originally from India, who were reportedly very close to Zuma during his presidency. .

The family is now in self-exile in Dubai, and South Africa has reportedly requested the government for extradition.

“The commission will approach the Constitutional Court (the highest court in the country) and ask it to impose a prison sentence on Mr. Zuma if it finds that he is guilty of contempt of court,” Zondo said Monday, when Zuma was scheduled to reappear. before the Commission, but did not do so for the third time.

Zondo cited the dangerous precedent that would be set if Zuma were allowed to defy the Commission’s subpoenas, as well as a ruling by the Constitutional Court to appear before the Commission.

“The Commission views Mr. Zuma’s conduct in a very serious light, particularly since it is carried out repeatedly. The commission has not treated Mr. Zuma unfairly and has no valid reason not to appear before the commission,” Zondo said. .

Zuma retaliated with a 12-page statement Monday night in which he repeated his claim that the Zondo Commission was part of a well-orchestrated plan to remove him from office, although he offered no evidence to support this.

He also suggested that the judiciary, long on the sidelines of government, now cater to the needs of a few people with vested interests.

“I firmly believe that we should never allow the establishment of a judiciary in which justice, fairness and due process are discretionary and preserved exclusively for certain litigants and not for others,” he argued.

“It is not the authority of the Constitutional Court that I reject, but its abuse by some judges. It is not our law that I challenge, but a few lawless judges who have left their constitutional position for political convenience. I respect the law and I am I have even subjected her to abuse for the past 20 years, “Zuma said.

Subscribe to Moneycontrol Pro at ₹ 499 for the first year. Use code PRO499. Limited time offer. * Terms and conditions apply