Former South African president Jacob Zuma will once more not appear on a commission probing suspicions of widespread corruption, one among his lawyers, Eric Mabuza has said. The move has sparked legal repercussions within the country’s legal fraternity.
Cathleen Powell is an associate professor in public law at the University of Cape Town . She said if Zuma doesn’t answer the subpoena of the Zondo commission, ‘’he’s committed a crime’.
“I do not know what the Constitutional Court is going to do, but while it says nothing, Zuma remains , under law, required to reply to the subpoena of the Zondo Commission, and if he doesn’t, he’s committed a criminal offense that he can be convicted and imprisoned”, Powell said.
The former South African president testified just one occasion before the commission in July 2019. But Zuma withdrew after a couple of days. He argued that he was being treated as an accused and a not a witness.
“Now, former president Zuma’s claim that he’s not subject to the power of the commission may be a lie. His claim that he doesn’t need to answer questions may be a lie. From what we’ve heard to this point, his claim that he wasn’t involved in corruption may be a lie, and if he’s ready to sell that for long enough, then he’s ready to drive the type of lawlessness that we saw within the united states, and that i think it’s time for the Zondo Commission and also the country to draw a line”, she added.
On Friday January 15, the commission suspended hearing. Judge Raymond Zondo was to isolate himself together of his close associates tested positive for the coronavirus. it’s uncertain if hearings scheduled for next Monday would be maintained.
Mired in scandals, former president Zuma who ruled the Southern African country between 2009 and 2018, was forced to resign. He was replaced by Cyril Ramaphosa, who promised to eliminate corruption.
The Commission of Inquiry, which was initially scheduled to sit until March, has got to request an extension because some hearings couldn’t happen because of the pandemic.
Already, the commission has heard from dozens of ministers or former ministers, elected officials, businessmen or high-ranking civil servants who have exposed the alleged corrupt practices under Zuma’s era.
Follow us on twitter: @oyogist
