Former President Jacob Zuma has hit back at the Constitutional Court’s decision to imprison him for 15 months, describing it as “judicially emotional and angry and not consistent with our Constitution”.
Zuma also launched a blistering attack on the Zondo Commission into state capture, saying it had become a “slaughtering house” where unsubstantiated allegations were made against him.
“We are busy studying the judgment and discussing with our lawyers to get legal advice on the options available,” the Jacob Zuma Foundation said in a statement.
Zuma once again, in expressing doubt in the lawfulness of the commission, reiterated that he had sought the recusal of the commission’s chairperson, Deputy Chief Justice Raymond Zondo, saying he was biased.
The former president said instead of allowing a high court to hear his application of a recusal against Zondo, the jurist went straight to the Constitutional Court.
Zondo explained in a media briefing yesterday that he had considered options on the matter and decided to petition the Constitutional Court directly when it became clear that Zuma would not cooperate with the commission.
He said the fact that Zuma had launched an application for his recusal did not mean he could not honour the summons for him to appear before the commission.
In his reaction to the scathing judgment penned by Acting Chief of Justice Sisi Khampepe, Zuma did not mince his words.
“Judges are not above the law. At a bare minimum, this means that courts must act independently and without bias, with unremitting fidelity to the law, and must be seen to be doing so. That did not happen in the Constitutional Court, as evidenced by the latest judgment,” the foundation said.
“We concur with the view of other justices who said the Constitutional Court majority acted contrary to the rule of law. The primacy of our Constitution was not vindicated in this matter at all. Actual or perceived judicial bias is unacceptable in our constitutional order,” it added.
However, Zuma’s response did not address the question of whether he was going to hand himself over to the police, as per the order of the country’s apex court.
Zuma’s response to his sentencing comes as the deadline for him to hand himself over to the police approaches.
He has until Sunday to do so or face arrest by the SA Police Service by Wednesday.
This comes as throngs of Zuma’s supporters descended on his Nkandla homestead to block his arrest.
Khampepe and the majority of judges (7 justices) were firm on Zuma’s defiance of the court’s order to appear before Zondo.
‘’At its core, this matter is about an egregious threat posed to the authority of the Constitution, the integrity of the judicial process, and the dignity of this court. If these circumstances do not warrant “swift and effective judicial intervention”, then I do not know what will,” she said.
“And I am not disturbed by the fact that this intervention may not be appealable for it is the administration of justice that requires this intervention,” she added.
Also read:
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Corruption Watch says ConCourt judgment signals a victory for the rule of law in SA
Watch: Zuma’s daughters and Carl Niehaus show their support for former president
Twitter reacts as Jacob Zuma is sentenced to jail
Constitutional Court finds Jacob Zuma guilty, sentenced to 15 months imprisonment
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