Liberty Fighters Network file papers to have Dlamini Zuma jailed for six months

Liberty Fighters Network president Reyno de Beer. Picture: Jacques Naude/African News Agency(ANA)

Liberty Fighters Network president Reyno de Beer. Picture: Jacques Naude/African News Agency(ANA)

Published Jan 6, 2021

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Pretoria - Reyno de Beer and his group Liberty Fighters Network want Co-operative Governance and Traditional Affairs minister, Dr Nkosazana Dlamini Zuma to be held in contempt of court and sentenced to a six-month stint in jail for extending the national state of disaster and reimplementing level 3 restrictions.

De Beer and his organisation have filed papers with the Gauteng High Court, Pretoria in which they said they will be back in the urgent court on Tuesday.

This is three days before the level 3 amended lockdown regulations are due to lapse or be extended.

De Beer is of the opinion that the minister has violated a judgment issued in June by Judge Norman Davis, in which he declared most of the lockdown regulations under level 5 and 4, and some under level 3 at that stage, as invalid.

The minister received the go-ahead to appeal the judgment before the Supreme Court of Appeal, but no date has yet been set for that hearing.

De Beer will meanwhile ask the high court on Tuesday that if it is not prepared to send the minister to jail for six months, the court must impose an alternative penalty which it deemed suitable.

They want the extension of the state of disaster to be declared invalid in light of the June judgment and an order barring the minister from promulgating further regulations pending the final outcome of the SCA proceedings.

De Beer said in his notice of motion filed at court that if the court agreed to their demands and if the minister ignored such an order, the police must be ordered to arrest her and take her into custody until she is brought before a court. He said they must also submit reasons as to why she should not be held in contempt of court.

Further demands made by De Beer and his organisation is that the court declared the compulsory wearing of face masks in public as invalid, apart from where it is necessary for reasonable safety purposes, such as for health workers.

They also want the closure of churches and other places of worship declared invalid.

De Beer said in his latest affidavit filed that he is not only appearing in the interests of the members of his group, but also on behalf of the entire country.

He said the urgency of this matter is self evident. According to De Beer the minister was blatantly in contempt of the June order when she announced the closure of certain beaches last month.

“This open contempt of court should not be tolerated. To prevent further bedlam, this court must intervene immediately to bring to an end to such conduct by declaring that in contempt,” De Beer stated.

He said by closing certain beaches over the festive season the minister interfered with the annual holiday of 56 million people.

De Beer said he wrote a letter to the minister demanding that she adhered to the June ruling, in which he also stated that his organisation has many members in the hospitality businesses near these beach areas, who are affected by her regulations."

“Not only was their freedom of movement infringed upon but also their right to earn an income. In consequence, they are directly affected by the contemptuous behaviour of the respondent (minister).”

De Beer said this continued lockdown is negatively affecting every single person in this country and must be dealt with as urgent - not only in the interest of justice, but as in the interest of the public.

He gave the minister until Thursday (tomorrow) to file her opposing papers.

Pretoria News

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Covid-19Lockdown