Durban - The JG Zuma Foundation launched a salvo of accusations against the State Capture Commission and its chairperson including labelling it a comedy of errors with irregular, manipulated and unlawful processes.
The statement by the JG Zuma Foundation comes at the culmination of an eventful week at the commission which saw a tug of war between Zuma and the commission’s chairperson Deputy Chief Justice Raymond Zondo that ended with Zuma dramatically walking away from the commission on Thursday.
In what has now descended into a battle of attrition between the commission and Zuma’s legal team, the former president has refused to testify before the commission until Zondo recuses himself.
The stand-off stems from a letter sent by Zuma’s attorney Eric Mabuza to the commission in September in which they requested that Zondo recuse himself from the commission claiming that Zondo was biased against Zuma and not impartial in combing over evidence brought by witnesses to the commission against the former head of state.
In another application for Zondo’s recusal, Zuma claimed that he and Zondo were friends, a claim that Zondo has flatly denied.
On Thursday Zondo refused Zuma’s request for him to recuse himself from the commission after rejecting Zuma’s claims that they were friends.
Zuma’s walkout led to the commission adjourning and it is set to resume on Monday. However Zuma’s legal team also indicated that they would be taking the matter up for review with the Justice Service Commission (JSC).
The JG Zuma Foundation has slammed Zondo and the commission’s evidence leaders claiming that they were working with sinister forces against Zuma.
“We commend President Zuma for risking it all in order not to legitimize an irregular process disguised as a legitimate commission,” the foundation said.
The JG Zuma Foundation also made a call on “all supporters of President Zuma” to back him “as he faces proceedings being plotted by the evidence leaders and the chairperson irregularly assisted by Ngcukaitobi SC, who also represents other parties appearing before the same commission”.
“We know that President Zuma and his team took a brave stance because they were not prepared to be bullied and elected to terminate their participation regardless of the risk of contempt proceedings.
“President Zuma assures us that he would rather face jail than allow himself to be bullied by an irregular, manipulated and unlawful process. We hope that the chairperson is aware that those pulling the strings behind the scenes do not have his interests at heart and will drop him as quickly as they picked,” added the foundation.
The foundation argued that Zuma’s counsel had “repeatedly” implored the commission to be responsible but that all those attempts had been in vain “as the forces behind the scenes” were prepared to risk it all, including Zondo’s integrity to achieve their nefarious goals.
“They can spin what happened all they like, their evil intentions were thwarted and prejudice blinded them. We are behind President Zuma all the way, no matter what they try to destroy him, they will fail,” added the foundation.
Political Bureau