The Jacob Zuma Foundation has denounced the Constitutional Court for sentencing the former president for 15 months in jail for contempt of court.
It has described Tuesday’s ruling unconstitutional, angry and emotional. This follows Zuma’s refusal to appear at the Commission of Inquiry into State Capture in February, accusing it of political bias.
“We are busy studying the judgment and discussing with our lawyers to get legal advice on the options available to our Patron, H.E President Zuma,” says the Foundation in a statement.
It says while it acknowledges that the Zondo Commission was established to perform a very important and invaluable task for our country, it however remains a statutory body, which only has the power given to it by the Legislature.
The Foundation says Zuma never believed that he is above the law but only wants to be treated
like every other citizen, and his rights to equal protection of the laws must be respected and
protected.
The group says it is not a criminal offence to have a dispute with an administrative agency like the Zondo Commission and the former president’s refusal to comply with an order, which he considered unconstitutional, cannot be characterised as willful or “mala fide. “He was acting in good faith and seeking to uphold the law,” it adds.
Zuma has until Sunday to present himself to a police station to begin his sentence or face arrest.
Below is the full statement from the Zuma Foundation:
Zuma’s family vows to defend him from going to prison
The Zuma family in Nkandla in northern KwaZulu-Natal has vowed that the former president Zuma is not going to jail. This as members of the MKMVA remain stationed at Zuma’s home in Nkandla. On Tuesday, they stopped a police vehicle from entering the premises.
Brother of the former president on the jail sentence:
Constitutional Court hands down Zuma’s 15-month jail term:
