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By Baldwin Ndaba 
1 hour ago
Johannesburg – Supreme Court Vice President Raymond Zondo was stunned Thursday when former President Jacob Zuma excused himself from the commission without his permission.
Zondo was forced to suspend the session until Monday when the former president left the building during a tea break.
Zondo said it was a shame that Zuma had left the commission without permission.
Previously, Zondo had dismissed Zuma’s request to recuse himself from the proceedings when he testified.
Zuma, through his legal representative, lawyer Muzi Sikhakhane, told the commission that he would take the matter for review and that his client would leave the process. He also said they would file a complaint against Zondo with the Judicial Services Commission.
Advocate for test leader Paul Pretorius wanted the proceedings against Zuma to continue as he had been summoned to attend, and asked Zondo to comment on the matter.
Sikhakhane also said that they wanted to be excused from the procedure, but Pretorius objected, who said the responsibility for making such a decision was Zondo.
Zuma left before Zondo could give his ruling.
Meanwhile, Zuma has agreed to challenge the dismissal of his request for disqualification in higher court.
Zondo delivered his verdict Thursday, saying Zuma’s request lacked proof of a reasonable apprehension of bias against him.
Zondo also rejected Zuma’s account that he visited him at his official residence in Durban a few days after his appointment as head of the state arrest commission of inquiry.
In Zuma’s affidavit, presented to the commission Wednesday, Zuma said that Zondo’s visit to his official residence was part of their continuing friendship, but Zondo denied this.
“Upon my appointment as head of the commission by the Chief Justice (Mogoeng Mogoeng), he informed me that the former president wanted to meet with me. He had actually visited him at his residence. It was an official meeting,” Zondo said.
Zondo also said it was too late for Zuma to reject his appointment nearly three years later, adding that he would have raised the issue about their alleged friendship during the initial stages of his appointment.
“In his founding affidavit, the plaintiff said that he did not want to be seen interfering in the appointment of the justices, but I believe that if he had raised the matter earlier, he would have allowed the Chief Justice to apply his mind to it.
“There is no reason why I should raise the matter almost three years after my appointment,” Zondo said.
He also said Zuma did not present evidence to show he was biased against him, including insinuations that he treated various witnesses who allegedly implicated him in the state capture, such as Public Business Minister Pravin Gordhan and others wearing goat gloves.
The judge also regretted the fact that Zuma ignored several instructions issued by him to appear before the commission to respond to various witnesses that implicated him in the state capture.
“Mr. Zuma alleges that I ignored the evidence he made in July of last year. The fact is that Mr. Zuma has not completed his testimony before the commission. He was served a summons to provide affidavits in response to some 35 witnesses who implicated him. in the capture state.
“Since then he has not provided such affidavits and I had to issue directives to compel him to appear before the commission.
This was followed by a letter from their legal team in which they informed the commission on September 28 that they intend to submit a request for disqualification because of my friendship with Mr. Zuma. To this day, the commission has no affidavits from Mr. Zuma regarding the accusations against him, “Zondo said.
He also dismissed the request for disqualification, claiming that he had the right to interact with any witness who appeared before him saying that the intention “was to strike a balance” in their testimony.
“Mr. Zuma did not pass a reasonable bias apprehension test and, according to his request, it should be dismissed. Consequently, it was dismissed,” Zondo ruled. | Additional reports per IOL
Political Bureau
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