DURBAN - Fifteen days before former president Jacob Zuma appears before the state capture commission, the foundation named after him says it doubts the deputy chief justice, Raymond Zondo, will recuse himself.
The foundation, without openly attributing its statement to Zuma himself, said, Zondo is part of a project aimed at viciously mauling the ex-president before the unjust court of public opinion.
This is contained in a press statement sent out late on Saturday.
The foundation said it was bizarre that three weeks before Zuma appears before the commission - as summoned - Zondo felt it was necessary to outline - through the aid of a sympathetic media - the long standing feud between the two of them.
"This was a deliberate diversion, sponsored to divert attention away from the source of the declaration, the Deputy Chief Justice himself. We invite the public to peruse the letter sent by President Zuma’s attorneys and you will notice that no such accusation was made," the foundation said.
This was in response to a statement issued by the state capture commission on Thursday where Zondo stated why Zuma is uncomfortable with him.
Zondo said in the early 90s, while still practicing as a lawyer he fell in love with a "certain woman" and a love child was born. Years later, it would turn out that the woman was a sister to Thobeka Madiba - one of Zuma's wives.
Back to the matter, the Zuma foundation believes that Zondo should have not dealt with a case that has not been tabled before him.
"We wish to remind the public that the application for the recusal of the Deputy Chief Justice has not been filed and attributing this disclosure to him and his lawyers is mere mischief designed to save the image of the Deputy Chief
Justice,” said the foundation.
“The timing of the media statement is indeed intriguing as it is clear that it was the advice of the hidden backroom masters and their advisors, trying in vain to do a pre -emptive strike for their man. It is rather curious that the Deputy Chief Justice deemed it necessary and appropriate to comment on a matter that is still to be placed before him for adjudication," it said.
Political Bureau