Deputy Chief Justice Raymond Zondo. Picture: Itumeleng English/African News Agency (ANA) Archives
Johannesburg - Deputy Chief Justice Raymond Zondo has indicated that it is clear what action needs to be taken against former president Jacob Zuma after he decided to defy the Commission into State Capture which issued him with a summons to attend and testify on Monday morning.
Zondo was expected to announce, at 2pm, the commission’s next steps against Zuma following his refusal to obey the directive to appear before the inquiry.
Zuma had previously indicated that he was not scared to be arrested over his defiance of the Zondo commission, which he accused of being biased against him.
Following Zuma’s no-show, the commission spent almost three hours as evidence leader, advocate Paul Pretorius, went through the allegations of impropriety about which the former president would have been questioned.
Zuma had told the commission that he would not present himself to the commission as he was still pursuing a review application over Zondo’s refusal to recuse himself, but the commission has dismissed this as it pointed out that the Constitutional Court had ruled that Zuma was compelled to take the stand notwithstanding his review application.
Two criminal complaints have already been lodged against Zuma by the commission over his defiance and refusal to comply with its previous summonses, which triggered the commission to head to the apex court in a bid to enforce his attendance.
Zondo said there was clarity about the action that needed to be taken following Zuma’s latest defiance.
“We are very clear about what needs to be done. There is no confusion about what must be done. Our law is not deficient in this respect at all,” Zondo said.
Pretorius said the outcomes and consequences of Zuma’s defiance were significant and that it was best to leave Zondo to handle them.
siviwe.feketha@inl.co.za
Political Bureau
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