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Former President Jacob Zuma on the Zondo commission.
Sharon Seretlo, Gallo Images
- Supreme Court Vice President Raymond Zondo is expected to announce his decision on former President Jacob Zuma’s request for disqualification at 3pm on Wednesday.
- On Monday, the commission heard Zuma’s request demanding that Zondo recuse himself.
- Zuma’s attorney argued that the commission had bought into a narrative that the former president “ruined our country.”
The ruling on former President Jacob Zuma’s offer for the deputy chairman of the state’s capture investigation, Supreme Court Vice President Raymond Zondo, is expected to recuse himself, to be delivered at 3 p.m. Wednesday.
This is according to a statement issued by Zondo’s commission of inquiry into the state capture.
On Monday, the commission heard Zuma’s request demanding that Zondo recuse himself.
However, Zuma will not be on the commission when the ruling is rendered.
His lawyer, lawyer Muzi Sikhakhane, told the commission that the former president will attend a funeral.
During Monday’s discussions, Sikhakhane said the commission had bought into a narrative that Zuma “ruined our country” by hearing testimony from “beloved witnesses,” such as Public Business Minister Pravin Gordhan, former Deputy Finance Minister Mcebisi Jonas and former Minister of Public Enterprises Barbara. Hogan, “spouting all sorts of things from his moral ground,” reported News24.
READ | Establishment of state capture investigation was ‘politically motivated’ – attorney for Jacob Zuma
He added that Zondo’s comments during testimony meant that “political witnesses” clung to those positions.
“Those witnesses were treated with some deference,” Sikhakhane said, adding that it indicates a “mind that tends to agree with a particular type of witness.”
And this, he said, led Zuma to see the commission as “the grave to bury him.”
He also told Zondo that if they lose the application, they will review it, and if he is forced to take Zuma to the stand, “he will exercise his right not to say anything.”
Meanwhile, the commission’s evidence leader, attorney Paul Pretorius SC, said Zondo’s challenge will collapse the commission. He also said that there was no evidence of actual bias on record and that Zondo was obligated to do everything in his power to ensure that Zuma appeared before the commission.
Pretorius also said that so far, the former president had not provided his full cooperation.
