The DA has reacted with outrage after convicted fraudster Schabir Shaik and former president Jacob Zuma were seen together for the first time in public at the opening a new restaurant called “Zuma”, said to be located in Umhlanga.
Both men are out of prison on medical parole.
Zuma’s daughter, Duduzile Zuma-Sambudla set tongues wagging at the weekend when she posted pictures of her father and his associate in what appeared to be an upmarket eatery.
“The Zuma Restaurant [Now you know I had to give the haters chest pains …],” she tweeted with a moving picture of the two men.
The Media Thought They Would Meet On The Golf Course But They Met At Zuma Restaurant
(Now You Know I Had To Give The Haters Chest Pains…) pic.twitter.com/fHUBr0s86U
— Dudu Zuma-Sambudla (@DZumaSambudla) November 25, 2022
“It has become increasingly clear that the decisions to release Zuma and Shaik on medical parole were politically motivated, thereby making a mockery of the parole system,” Glynnis Breytenbach, DA spokesperson on justice and constitutional development, said.
“The actions of Zuma and Shaik demonstrate a shameless and flagrant disregard for the rule of law and our constitutional democracy. By attending this event, Zuma and Shaik demonstrated their belief that they are above the law.
“The media thought they would meet on the golf course but they met Achanisms.
“It is clear that Zuma and Shaik were never legitimately ill enough to warrant being granted medical parole. By Zuma and Shaik appearing in public as supposed VIPs, they are demonstrating the contempt with which they hold the ordinary public.
“The DA will not allow this injustice to continue. The party has launched our own court action to ensure that Zuma returns to prison to finish his sentence. The DA’s review of Zuma’s medical parole has already achieved success.
“In the Supreme Court of Appeal [SCA] last week, the court overturned the decision of Arthur Fraser [then commissioner of correctional services] to release Zuma on medical parole. It is clear that Zuma needs to return to prison without delay, and a review of Shaik’s parole should also be considered.”
Shaik was sentenced to 15 years in prison for corruption and fraud on June 8 2005 in a landmark judgment that saw Zuma fired by former president Thabo Mbeki as his deputy.
Judge Hilary Squires found there was “overwhelming” evidence of a corrupt relationship between Schabir Shaik and Zuma. However, he was released on medical parole after serving two years and four months, with reasons that he was suffering from life-threatening hypertension.
The SCA last week ruled that Zuma, who has failed to make the shortlist to contest for ANC’s national chairperson, was unlawfully granted medical parole.
“The effect of the setting aside of this declarator is that once the order in this appeal is handed down, Mr Zuma’s position as it was prior to his release on medical parole will be reinstated,” the judgment reads.
“In other words, Mr Zuma, in law, has not finished serving his sentence. He must return to the Escourt correctional centre to do so. Whether the time spent by Mr Zuma on unlawfully granted medical parole should be taken into account in determining the remaining period of his incarceration, is not a matter for this court to decide.
“It is a matter to be considered by the commissioner [of the Department of Correctional Service]. If he is empowered by law to do so, the commissioner might take that period into account in determining any application or grounds for release.”
Zuma, who spent two months in jail, was arrested in July 2021 for contempt of court. This after he was found guilty by the Constitutional Court for failing to appear before the Judicial Commission of Inquiry into Allegations of State Capture chaired by Chief Justice Raymond Zondo earlier in the year.
In September 2021, Fraser ordered the release of the former statesman on medical parole, but a high court judge in Gauteng, Elias Matojane, ruled in December 2021 that Fraser erred in his decision.
Matojane ordered that the former president returns to jail to serve the remainder of his 15-month jail sentence.
Zuma’s lawyers, led by advocate Dali Mpofu, appealed Matojane’s ruling and argued before the SCA that sending him back to jail would be tantamount to imposing a double sentence.
His arrest triggered a wave of violence in some parts of KwaZulu-Natal and Gauteng, which resulted in the deaths of more than 300 people and billions of rands lost to the economy.
Correctional services has indicated its intention to appeal the decision of the SCA.
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