The Commission of Inquiry into State Capture has filed its papers at the Constitutional Court of South Africa, opposing former president Jacob Zuma’s bid to have his 15-month jail term overturned.
The commission is asking the court to dismiss Zuma’s application with costs.
The Constitutional Court sentenced Zuma for contempt of court last week after he refused to continue to testify at the commission despite being ordered to do so.
Zuma is now pinning his hopes to the Constitutional Court, which will hear his application for the rescission of his jail sentence on Monday.
However, the commission says Zuma’s application does not meet the threshold requirement for rescission and bears no prospects of success. It says it instead borders on abuse of the rescission procedure.
“Although he seeks a rescission of the contempt of court finding, he makes out no case at all for rescinding this finding. The case for rescinding the sentence is poorly pleaded. Some facts in the founding affidavit are internally inconsistent, contradict the objective evidence or have been left out of both the replying papers and Heads of Argument,” says the commission.
Advocate Paul Hoffman on Zuma’s application to have his 15-month jail term rescinded:
Zuma’s freedom bid
On Friday, Zuma has lost his application for a stay of his arrest, despite him already being behind bars at the Escourt Correctional Services Facility.
His incarceration has sparked anger among some, while others say the landmark ruling shows the strength of the rule of law in South Africa.
On Friday, parts of KwaZulu-Natal were chaotic with protesters blocking roads with burning objects and trucks.
At least 13 people arrested in KZN during pro-Zuma protests:
