NFP raises concerns of COVID-19 regulations adherence outside Zuma’s home

The National Freedom Party (NFP) says it is extremely concerned about the scenes outside former President Jacob Zuma’s home in Nkandla, northern KwaZulu-Natal.

The party’s General Secretary Canaan Mdletshe says the majority of people gathering in Nkandla are not wearing masks and not adhering to COVID-19 regulations.

The Constitutional Court says it will hear Zuma’s application to rescind his 15-month jail term on July 12. The apex court sentenced Zuma for contempt of court for ignoring its order that he continues testifying before the State Capture Commission.

Mdletshe says intervention from Police Minister Bheki Cele is needed to stop the Nkandla gathering from becoming a super spreader event.

“We are concerned about the people who are gathered outside former President Jacob Zuma’s home in Nkandla as they are not adhering to COVID-19 regulations, they are not wearing masks and they are not social distancing. Therefore the gathering might become a super-spreader event. Over and above, we are concerned about the violence that might erupt there should the police start confronting the supporters of the former President. We are, therefore, calling on Police Minister Bheki Cele to engage the leadership of Police in the area.”

Correctional Services Department says it is awaiting moves from the police, former President Jacob Zuma’s legal team and others after the ConCourt said it would hear a motion for the rescission of Zuma’s 15-month sentence

Zuma may now not have to hand himself over to authorities before the deadline of midnight on Sunday to start serving his sentence.

Correctional Services spokesperson Singabakho Nxumalo says, “When they get to us they then get admitted. That’s when we take over. But as long as the person has not been brought to us unfortunately we can not go home and try to fetch that person. That person may decide to bring himself or his lawyers or the police may bring that person. We can not interfere in that particular space. Our job only starts when a person has been brought to us.”

Update from outside Zuma’s home:

The spokesperson for the JG Zuma Foundation, Mzwanele Manyi, says the Constitutional Court’s decision shows that the law in South Africa favours all who live in the country. He says this comes as a shame to all those who were predicting that Zuma will be in jail from Sunday.

Manyi says even though temporal, this decision is a relief to former president Zuma as he won’t have to hand himself over to the authorities to begin serving his 15-month jail term on Sunday.

“President Zuma and his family are very delighted by this temporal relief, this signals the adherence to rule of law, this signals the kind of justice system that a lot of people have lost their lives for – when somebody is saying please hear me out, please give me an opportunity to state my case and then we have a court that says OK, we are willing to listen to you, that’s the kind of justice system people died for in this country,” the Zuma Foundation spokesperson says.

Manyi elaborates on his views in the video below: