Durban - A MARCH was planned by former president Jacob Zuma supporters to the Constitutional Court on Thursday, where an application for Zuma to be jailed for two years if he is found guilty of contempt of court, is expected to be heard.
Zuma supporters believe his constitutional rights have been infringed.
March organiser Trevor Mkhize regretted how supporters had not previously arrived in their numbers when "Zuma was subjected to bias court proceedings by the judiciary“.
In January, the Constitutional Court had ruled that Zuma had to appear before the Commission of Inquiry into Allegations of State Capture and answer questions put to him.
Zuma was scheduled to appear before the commission from February 15 to19 but failed to do so. His lawyers said the commission’s summons was “irregular and not in line with the Concourt judgment”.
In February, chairperson of the commission, Deputy Chief Justice Raymond Zondo, had asked the Concourt to confirm Zuma’s refusal to honour this summons.
On Wednesday, Mkhize said: "Enough is enough, much like hurricane Katrina, we will make a landfall in Braamfontein and defend Zuma. If we don't do anything now, we would have failed him. We made a mistake. We kept quiet, folded our arms and allowed SaveSA to embarrass Zuma and remove him from office."
Mkhize doubted the court’s ability, saying Zuma had suffered all his life under apartheid and continued to suffer prejudice at the hands of the judiciary.
"The same court that slapped him with costs when he was not even opposing the application, is expected to make a ruling to arrest him when he has never refused to appear before the Zondo Commission but asked Justice Raymond Zondo to recuse himself.“
Mkhize is also concerned that the Concourt judges might not dare oppose Justice Zondo and rule in favour of Zuma because this will equate to defiance against their boss.
Among the Zuma supporters expected will be the Umkhonto weSizwe Military Veterans Association and members of the Radical Economic Transformation (RET) group. RET co-ordinator Carl Niehaus confirmed he would be among those showing their support for Zuma.
Andile Mngxitama, leader of Black First Land First, also pledged his support for Zuma. "We support all legitimate struggles to defend president Zuma because he is a victim of the evil agenda of white monopoly capital which controls everything including the judiciary.“
Pan Africanist Congress of Azania president Themba Godi criticised the manner in which the commission was conducted. He accused it of being an instrument to produce negative findings on Zuma. He also questioned the earliest involvement of courts arguing that it fuelled a sense of injustice and served certain interests to some individuals.
"The involvement of the Constitutional Court and its earlier bizarre ruling only fuelled a sense of injustice. Tomorrow (Thursday) is a watershed day for the ANC and the Codesa consensus. We are plunging headlong into a political crisis. Millions of rand are wasted in factional battles dressed as a state commission whilst the majority continue to wallow in gut -wrenching poverty. Whose priorities are these," said Godi.
Political analyst Professor Tumi Senokoane contended that recent court judgments against Zuma opened possibilities of protest from the masses against the courts.
"It is natural and within the rights of supporters of any member and structure to support their members or leaders or structures. The inconsistency of the courts in recent judgment opens up such possibilities to protest," said Senokoane.
Zuma stormed out of the Zondo commission in November 2020, after accusing Justice Zondo of being biased against him, claiming that the commission was politically motivated and was organised specifically to punish him.
Justice Zondo believed Zuma had violated the long-standing Commission’s Act. He was now asking the Concourt to impose a two-year jail term on the 79-year-old Zuma.
The case was set down for 10am.
Daily News