Durban - Golden Miles Bhudu, the spokesman for the South African Prisoners Organisation for Human Rights (SAPOHR) who once famously marched in front of Luthuli House with heavy chains in defence of Jacob Zuma is now calling on the former president to hand himself over to Correctional Services “like a man”.
Bhudu, who was among the most vocal of Zuma supporters after he was fired by then president Thabo Mbeki for his alleged links to convicted fraudster, Schabir Shaik, urged Zuma to comply with the Constitutional Court judgement that sentenced him to 15 months imprisonment for refusing to appear before the Zondo Commission.
“This will indeed surprise and outrage his enemies and detractors. It will also leave them with nothing much to say,” Bhudu said.
“Secondly, he must plead with his supporters, sympathiser, fans and admirers to not accompany him when he hand himself over to the Department of Correctional Services, when he surrender himself to do, the right thing, his time, like any man (sic),” he said.
Bhudu said that when Zuma hands himself over to authorities he must avoid the “grandstanding” scenes that followed the imprisonment of ANC members Tony Yengeni and Andile Lugisa.
“SAPOHR once again call(s) upon the former president to humble himself. When admitted to a correctional facility, (he must do) what is normally done (in following the) standard procedures, when convicted prisoners are admitted. Greet both fellow prisoners and correctional officers. Stand in a queue and wait your turn to be counted and taken through the process.
“(He must)avoid the temptation of talks of preferential treatment and (flouting), standing rules and regulations for prison(ers),” Bhudu said.
Bhudu said that serving time may give Zuma a perspective on the conditions prisoners faced.
IOL