ConCourt ‘only waking up now’, says Jacob Zuma Foundation

The Constitutional Court has issued directives, asking the different legal teams to each submit a 20-page document addressing the international law and constitutional implications of his ongoing detention.

The former president is currently serving his 15-month sentence at Estcourt Correctional Facility for contempt of court.

The foundation’s spokesperson Mzwandile Manyi says the judgment ordering Zuma’s detention must be rescinded.

“We are very concerned that only at this point in the game are they waking up to the kind of issues that they have raised in that directives. Our legal teams are already hard at work to make strong submissions to say to justices indeed you were incorrect and misdirected yourselves.

“You failed to implement these sections in our constitutions which are reflected in these UN covenant and by so doing you actually flouted section 39 paragraph one of our own constitution, which obliges you to look at those articles as you make your decisions.

“The fact that you are asking for judgment only now shows that there is a gap in the judgment, we think this now poses a constitutional crisis for our country and we think the only solution is that the Constitutional Court must make the constitution win the day, the supremacy of the constitution must be affirmed and therefore that decision which was taken must be rescinded,” says Manyi.

Meanwhile, Manyi says they are still awaiting the doctor's report on Zuma’s health.

“We don’t know if there is any result yet. We are waiting for doctors to give a report on that. President Zuma is walking but we are not doctors we are just waiting  for doctors to confirm his state of health, we are at the mercy of the doctors' report.”

Zuma was admitted to an outside health facility on Friday after a routine medical check-up.

The apex court has given Zuma’s lawyers until August 13 to submit the documents.

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