Pierre de Vos asserts that “what Vavi, Nzimande and the youth league should address, is whether we really want a president who lied to Parliament and took more than R1m from a friend to subsidise an extravagant lifestyle, and then used his power and prestige as African National Congress deputy president and then as deputy president of SA to assist his friend in his business dealings”, SA need not suspend its common sense (November 9).

The answer is a resounding yes, because he is precisely the type of person they would hope to have similar sway over once he gets into office, as this is the only way they could hope to ever influence the politics and, hence, the direction of our society.

What will be interesting to observe is the conflict between the left-wing supporters and the assortment of shady dealers and so-called “businessmen” who also swear by Jacob Zuma’s innocence — will it be a case of the highest bidder gets the spoils?

Andrew Cripps, Johannesburg

It is interesting to observe some critics and opposition parties calling on the National Prosecuting Authority (NPA) to reinstate the corruption charges against African National Congress deputy president Jacob Zuma in the wake of the dismissal of Schabir Shaik’s appeal.

These calls fail to consider that the general constituent elements of corruption must first be present before the NPA can reinstate the charges against Zuma. It does not follow that the NPA would reinstate the charges against Zuma if the only basis was the prima facie evidence of corruption in which Shaik is presumed to have solicited a bribe from the French arms supplier Thomson-CSF in exchange for protection from investigation into its role in the arms deal.

The joint investigating team — comprised of the auditor-general, the public protector and the directorate of public prosecutions — probed the allegations of corruption in the arms procurement deal and found the process to have been above board. This case needs justice to be done beyond selective and subjective limits.

Morgan Phaahla, Ekurhuleni

With acknowledgement to Andrew Cripps, Morgan Phaahla and Business Day.