Mabuza slams Zondo inquiry for ‘disdain’ towards Zuma
Former president Jacob Zuma will not return to the commission of inquiry into state capture in September.
Zuma was called to appear before the commission between 21 and 25 September, but his lawyer Eric Mabuza says he’s too busy preparing for his upcoming corruption case.
In a letter addressed to the commission, Mabuza says the commission failed to consult Zuma on his availability.
“We noted from the commission’s letter that rather than engage us, it has relied on the media to determine when President Zuma should appear at the Commission. We are of the view that the availability of President Zuma could easily have been discussed or verified with us before the commission made its own (incorrect) assumptions about his availability or our own readiness as the new attorneys in the matter.
“We wish to point out that President Zuma is preparing for his much-anticipated criminal trial, the importance of which cannot be over-emphasized.”
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Mabuza has slammed the commission for what he believes to be the unfair treatment of Zuma.
“We note the threat that the commission ‘reserves its rights to take steps to compel the former president to appear before the Commission’ and consider it unnecessary to respond to it at this stage, as it does not assist the process in any way. Instead, it only serves to demonstrate the disdain with which the commission’s legal team treats President Zuma.
“We do not wish to engage in such exchange of threats as this may only taint the integrity of such an important commission,” Mabuza adds.
Zuma made his first appearance before the commission last July.
The former head of state was set to make a second appearance later in 2019 did not make a return for the scheduled hearings due to illness.
Read the full letter:
Mabuza slams Zondo inquiry for ‘disdain’ towards Zuma by Nokukhanya Mntambo on Scribd