Zuma has his say during welcome prayer, shares his version events that landed him behind bars

Johannesburg – Former president Jacob Zuma has addressed his followers via a Zoom video call from Nkandla Kwa-Zulu Natal.

Thousands of Zuma supporters gathered at the People’s Park at the Moses Mabidah stadium in Durban on Thursday to attend a welcome prayer that is being held for the former president.

According to The Jacob Zuma Foundation, it said the event celebrates his release from prison.


The prayer session was also attended by long-time Zuma allies, Carl Niehaus and Ace Magashule.

The prayer meeting took a turn, as Zuma appeared on screens, addressing his followers.

During his address, Zuma said that “Something has gone terribly wrong in this country”, as he shared his version of events that landed him behind bars.

Watch Zuma’s address below: 

He went on to say that he remains under very ‘strict’ parole conditions.

The former president, during his address, seemed to be in a bitter mood, claiming that Acting Chief Justice, Raymond Zondo had a direct line to the Constitutional Court, which resulted in his sentence.


“The idea that even judges makes mistakes is easy to understand. Judges are human beings and so are law makers and practitioners. They have personal views and beliefs,” Zuma said during his address.

“It is this state that has imprisoned me for contempt of court without trial. Something has gone terribly wrong in our country. remain a prisoner under very strict parole conditions, it feels like what house arrest and banning orders must have felt like during colonial apartheid government.  The judicial commission of inquiry was a final measure of those who fear what I represent. There is no legislation in terms of which anyone can direct the president to appoint a commission of inquiry,” Zuma went on to say.

“The laws and courts processes do become sites for the struggle for control of state power between contesting political parties,” Zuma further said.

“The chief justice gave me the name of a judge from the Western Cape division of the high court, in the middle of the process the chief justice came with a different name for the head of the commission, judge Raymond Zondo, I found this puzzling. Let me be clear the commission has surfaced evidence of corruption on the part of various people. The evidence will be tested in due course and appropriate decision taken,” the former president said.

To read more news and views from this week’s newspaper, click here. 

Follow @SundayWorldZprn Twitter and @sundayworldza on Instagram, or like our Facebook Page, Sunday World, by clicking here for the latest breaking news in South Africa. To Subscribe to Sunday World, click here.

Sunday World

Latest News