Political parties and analysts had varied views about the incarceration of former president Jacob Zuma, who began his 15-month sentence for being in contempt of court, when he handed himself over to police on Wednesday night.
The Daily News asked political parties and an analyst for their reaction on whether the country was still suffering from service delivery issues as a result of his tenure as President, and if they were concerned about his health.
Auwal Socio-Economic Research Institute political analyst Dr Imraan Buccus said Zuma should be commended for acting in a manner that prevented any potential bloodshed, as well as for respecting the judicial process.
“Expect nothing less from Zuma, he was an icon in the ’90s. He was the chief architect and orchestrated peace between the IFP and ANC. He, once again, acted in a way to avoid bloodshed. The political leadership of KwaZulu-Natal also needs to be commended. Despite the dynamics of provincial leadership, they displayed a revolutionary discipline,” said Buccus.
There were reported concerns over the statesman’s age and fears, that had been made public, that he could be poisoned in jail
Buccus said the Department of Correctional Services was well-equipped to make provisions for his medical needs.
“He will get the medical care that he requires and deserves. The DCS will also conduct their risk assessments,” said Buccus.
He said, when it came to safety concerns in prison for Zuma behind bars, the DCS was well aware of his circumstances and would deploy the necessary safety measures.
“Based on what we are hearing and what is reported, I don’t think Zuma will spend 15 months. He might spend a quarter of it,” surmised Buccus.
IFP president Velenkosini Hlabisa said Zuma complied with the Constitutional Court’s order and he voluntarily handed himself over to the SAPS. The IFP, the official opposition party in KwaZulu-Natal, said Zuma must allow justice to take its course.
“It is not the place of any political party to question a Constitutional Court ruling. Therefore, we believe that the highest court in the land acted in the best interests of the rule of law, and South Africa as a whole,” said Hlabisa, who also called for calm and restraint regarding gatherings for Zuma.
“The IFP’s voter base has been severely and negatively impacted by poor service delivery across KwaZulu-Natal in recent years, as is evident from the many service delivery protests that have rocked the ANC-led province in recent months. We seek to correct this daily, where we govern. We hope that former president Zuma will remain in good health, as he serves his time in a correctional facility, and as he seeks to finalise all his legal matters,” Hlabisa said.
DA leader John Steenhuisen said it was an important victory for the rule of law in SA and “a tip of the iceberg for Zuma”.
“The contempt of court charge, while serious, does not represent his actual crimes against the people of South Africa, and we must still see justice for the charges of fraud, corruption, money laundering, tax evasion and racketeering.
“Zuma has done untold damage to many of our institutions of democracy, throughout the ANC’s State Capture project. The one institution that has managed to remain largely intact is our independent judiciary. This is something we need to guard fiercely, as it is the final bulwark against a government or state that thinks it can act with impunity. The real fight to reclaim our country from predatory politicians, who have robbed from the people to enrich themselves and their networks, has only just started,” said Steenhuisen.
ALJAMA-AH leader Ganief Hendricks believed Zuma should be given a presidential pardon.
Hendricks said Zuma was not given a chance to mitigate his sentence for contempt of court and that the court did not embrace the spirit of ubuntu. He felt President Cyril Ramaphosa should act decisively and that Zuma should be placed under house arrest.
“This is not the people's court. You do not send an elderly person to prison. You look for alternatives. Zuma has voiced his concerns about his age and ill health. They did not consider it. He looks much thinner and his skin is darker. He has not recovered from the poisoning attempt. The ConCourt defined two new directions. One can ask for mitigation of circumstances before finding one guilty, and detention and imprisonment without trial is a power of the court, if it so desires to enhance its standing. The AL JAMA-AH constituency office received a groundswell of support for Zuma, from voters in KwaZulu-Natal. The country is suffering from poor oversight for the past five Parliaments,” said Hendricks.
Kallie Kriel, chief executive of AfriForum said: “Justice would always prevail in the end, even though it sometimes takes longer than one would have wanted.
“The public must continue to apply pressure to ensure that justice eventually prevails. This is a short sentence but at least it is a start in ensuring that Zuma is held accountable. AfriForum will keep an eye on the course of events around Zuma’s prison sentence and other cases against him,” said Kriel.
Minority Front leader and MPL Shameen Thakur-Rajbansi said they received mixed reactions from local communities. She said Zuma should have been given a suspended sentence because his objections were not attended to.
On Zuma’s health, she said – given his age – his health was a concern with the country on lockdown level 4. She said the prisons should be continuously reviewing their regulations on prisoner intake.
“It must be noted that the current Presidency has not course-corrected corruption, which is now endemic – therefore service delivery cannot only be blamed on the Zuma era, as evident from the Zondo Commission,” said Rajbansi.