Cosatu Baffles Political Experts on Zuma Issue [Sapa, 2005-08-17]

Publication: Sapa Issued: Johannesburg Date: 2005-08-17 Reporter: Sapa Reporter: Amy Musgrave

Cosatu Baffles Political Experts on Zuma Issue

Publication	Sapa COSATU-ZUMA
Date	2005-08-17
Issued	Johannesburg
Reporter	Amy Musgrave, Sapa

Political experts have been baffled by the Congress of SA Trade Unions (Cosatu) insistence of having President Thabo Mbeki intervene in the corruption trial of Jacob Zuma.

"It would send out an extremely negative message if the president was to interfere in this way," Judith February of the Institute for Democracy in SA told Sapa on Wednesday.

"It's unwise and unwarranted in terms of our Constitution and the rule of law."

Cosatu has called on President Thabo Mbeki to reinstate Zuma as deputy president of the country and to ensure his corruption charges are dropped.

Cosatu's central committee made these resolutions at its meeting in Johannesburg earlier this week.

It said if the case went ahead in spite of the federation's call, Cosatu would demand a fair hearing and a full bench to hear the trial.

Steven Friedman of the Centre for Policy Studies said Cosatu's calls were disturbing and he doubted Mbeki would heed them.

"The president respects the Constitution. I am confident that the president won't violate the Constitution," he said.

Head of the University of Witwatersrand's political studies department Prof Philip Frankel said he viewed Cosatu's calls as game playing and testing the political strength of Mbeki.

"I can't see any possibility of him changing his mind [about axing Zuma]," he said.

If Mbeki reversed his decision he would "make a complete idiot of himself", Frankel said.

February agreed it was "highly unlikely" that Mbeki would reinstate Zuma as he had thoroughly pondered what to do before dismissing him.

It was also not Mbeki's style to bow to political pressure.

Cosatu and other like-minded organisations such as the Young Communist League and the African National Congress Youth League believe Zuma has been tried in the media and is therefore perceived to be guilty before appearing in court.

Zuma was fired in June after his friend and financial adviser Schabir Shaik was found guilty on two charges of corruption and one of fraud involving financial dealings with Zuma.

There has also been a backlash against the judiciary since Judge Hilary Squires, who tried Shaik, found there was a "generally corrupt" relationship between Zuma and Shaik, although Zuma was not on trial.

Friedman said perhaps Cosatu's calls for a full bench to hear Zuma's trial was a good idea as it was likely to create more confidence in the judiciary process.

Zuma, who addressed the Cosatu committee meeting on Tuesday, said he was humbled by the support South Africans had given him.

"I am humbled by the support of the people in the country. They can see there has been an element of *1... victimisation... the support is well-founded."

Cosatu believes Zuma has been politically targeted because the capitalist elements of society want to impose a succession plan on the democratic movement.

"JZ (Jacob Zuma) is seen to be too close to workers and the poor," Cosatu general secretary Zwelinzima Vavi told reporters on Tuesday.

For this reason Zuma had been tried by the media and in absentia, and the National Prosecuting Authority (NPA) had actively leaked information to selected media, Vavi said.

In August 2003 former NPA boss Bulelani Ngcuka said there was a "prima facie" case against Zuma, but that it would be impossible to win the case.

After Shaik's trial, Zuma was also charged with corruption.

The resolution comes after Cosatu leadership welcomed Zuma's trial saying he would finally be able to give his side of the story in an open court.

Asked to comment on change of view, Friedman said Cosatu worked as a democratic association and its leaders had to take members' views into account.

He said the challenge by the central committee could be seen as a failure in leadership, however, it would be unwise for the leadership, if it wanted to remain in power, to force its views on members.

"They (leaders) need to persuade their view is the right one. If they cannot persuade, then they must accept [the views of members]. This is how a democratic organisation works."

February said it was normal in an organisation as diverse as Cosatu to have differences of opinion.

Zuma goes on trial in the Durban High Court in October.

With acknowledgement to Amy Musgrave and Sapa.

*1 Perhaps a trace element, but there's a very weighty splodge of tested evidence (High Court, one senior judge and two assessors nogal) that the French company bribed the then deputy president with the other one looking on in encouragement.

But if there is indeed any element of victimisation, it's not the courts that are doing the victimisation and so the whole argument becomes fallacious (false, illogical, non-cogent, unreasonable, imaginary).