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By Baldwin Ndaba, ANA reporter 
4h ago
Johannesburg – South Africans are likely to know today if the chairman of the state’s capture investigation, Supreme Court Vice President Raymond Zondo, will refrain from hearing testimony from former President Jacob Zuma.
Zondo heard arguments Monday from Zuma’s legal representatives about why he shouldn’t chair the commission when Zuma testifies.
The proceedings began when Zondo read a statement in which he described all his past interactions with the former president.
As Zuma sat and listened, Zondo said that they had never been friends.
“That’s not accurate,” Zondo said, recounting the times in the past two and a half decades when the couple’s paths had crossed.
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Zondo said he paid his respects when one of Zuma’s wives died “18 or 20 years ago,” but Zuma had never attended any of his family’s funerals or events, such as birthday celebrations.
In 1996, a year before he became a judge, he had met with Zuma because he was representing a client as an attorney who wanted to file a lawsuit against him.
However, Zondo said, he never applied because he was later appointed to the court.
He added that Zuma had never before requested his recusal of justice in any of the matters involving the former head of state.
ZumaAmong’s attorney Muzi Sikhakhane argued that the reason Zuma wanted Zondo to recuse himself was that the commission’s witness training gave Zuma the impression that Zondo was supporting his version of state capture.
Sikhakhane told Zondo that he had made all too human “mistakes” in the way he responded to testimony from those implicating Zuma in the state capture.
This had led the former president to believe that he would enter “a slaughterhouse” if he took the stand.
In his papers, Zuma said: “The following witnesses were selected to the exclusion of other members of the Cabinet who could have expressed a contrary version: Pravin Gordhan (then Minister of Public Enterprises); Mcebisi Jonas (former Vice Minister of Finance); Nhlanhla Nene (former Minister of Finance); Ngoako Ramatlhodi (former Minister of Mineral Resources; Vytjie Mentor (former ANC MP); Trevor Manuel (former Minister of Finance); Barbara Hogan; and Themba Maseko (former Head of Government Information and Communication Systems and Fikile Mbalula.
However, it did not specify which particular submissions the commission allegedly ignored.
Sikhakhane also denied allegations that Zuma had refused to appear before the commission, saying the former president did not appear in September last year due to health problems.
He also noted that Zuma had had to change legal team. In his response to the request for disqualification, defense counsel for test leader Paul Pretorius said Zuma did not make any claims of bias by the president against him.
He denied claims that the commission only summoned people who were hostile toward Zuma.
Among the 257 witnesses who appeared before the commission was Duduzane Zuma, the son of the former president. Dudu Myeni, Nomvula Mokonyane and many others who were not hostile to Mr. Zuma, “said Pretorius. He urged Zondo to decline the request.
Political Bureau
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