Cape Town - Former president Jacob Zuma has launched a broadside attack at the Zondo Commission for investigating his children’s bank accounts, saying he would not take the matter lying down.
He described the investigation as an attack on his children and said he considered it a declaration of war which he would not take lying down.
In a statement dated October 15, Zuma said he was appalled the commission targeting his children. He said he would not tolerate this and would fight the “attack” on his children with all his might.
The former president went on to say that the commission should attack him and not his children.
"My family and I have not known peace under apartheid and yet we remain tagged in post-apartheid South Africa. I have tolerated intense harassment and relentless vilification for 25 years.
“My opponents have now decided to target my children and this is where I draw the line and state that this harassment of my children is a declaration of war.
“The system has crossed the line and I will fight with all I have. I have subjected myself to the biased legal system and despite my reservation have respected its crooked ways and political and selective prosecution.
“However, targeting my children is a despicable act conducted by those in power who do this on behalf of the old apartheid system that seems to have returned to the driving seat and is in control of many of our organs of state and law enforcement institutions," said Zuma.
Zuma is engaged in a tussle with the commission and has claimed it was biased against him.
He has been ordered to appear before it again in November after his initial appearance last year.
But his return to the commission has been mired in a fight with its head, Deputy Chief Justice Raymond Zondo.
However, in a statement Zuma said he would not allow the involvement of his children in his battles.
He said his children should not be dragged into his problems. He said he was the man at the centre of the investigation into allegations of state capture by the commission and not his children.
"However, I condemn as utter cowardice the attempts to target my children by way of clandestine investigations into matters that have nothing to do with them.
“My children live their own lives separately and must be treated like any child or person that has not been implicated in any wrongdoing.
“So far, they have not been served with any notices indicating that they are in any way implicated by any witness selected by the commission," said Zuma.
He said it was disturbing his children learned via the media they were subjected to this investigation.
He said he would not take this lying down and would fight it.
Political Bureau