Publication: Cape Times Issued: Date: 2006-11-10 Reporter: Angela Quintal Reporter:

Say Sorry to Judge, Zuma Told

 

Publication 

Cape Times
Date

2006-11-10

Reporter

 Angela Quintal

Web Link

www.capetimes.co.za

 

Government lays down the law

ANC deputy president Jacob Zuma, as well as the ANC Youth and Young Communist Leagues should apologise to Judge Hilary Squires, says a top government official.

Government spokesman Themba Maseko was replying to questions after the cabinet this week said "any unjustified, racially and ill-informed attacks on the judiciary were both regrettable and unwelcome".

The cabinet had noted the judgment of the Supreme Court of Appeal relating to Schabir Shaik and expressed its full confidence in the judiciary, as well as its "unqualified respect" for the rule of law.

Maseko singled out the attacks on Judge Hilary Squires as an example.

The YCL and ANCYL are among those who labelled the judge an apartheid judge, and an ex-Rhodesian cabinet minister, who was part of an alleged political conspiracy against Zuma.

Zuma himself, in an interview last year told the Mail & Guardian newspaper: "In 1963, I was sentenced to 10 years in prison by Justice Steyn. It was a political trial. I listened to Judge Squires and there was nothing different to what I heard 42 years ago in terms of the political judgment".

This after Judge Squires convicted Shaik for corruption and fraud and said there was a generally corrupt relationship between Zuma and his former financial adviser.

His judgment was upheld by the SCA last week, and Shaik yesterday began his 15-year jail sentence.

Maseko said Judge Squires "was called a whole lot of things by a number of bodies which we condemn and find totally unacceptable".

"You can't have a situation where a judgment is taken against you and then go criticise individual judges because they have taken a decision against you.

"Their job is to uphold the law irrespective of their race, religion or culture. They are entitled to perform their duties as defined in the constitution. We find these attacks totally unacceptable."

Asked whether Zuma and his supporters should apologise to Judge Squires, Maseko said: "Cabinet did not take a view on that matter of who should apologise".

"I would as spokesperson align myself with those who have actually made the call for those who continue to attack the individual judges to actually apologise and desist from making such statements against our judges."

The ANCYL and YCL earlier this week said they would not apologise for insulting Judge Squires who had singled out the "generally corrupt relationship between Zuma and Shaik".

Neither ANC spokesman Smuts Ngonyama nor Zuma's lawyer, Michael Hulley, were immediately available for comment.

Maseko also told reporters that a decision whether to recharge Zuma for corruption was a matter for the NPA and not the cabinet to decide. The cabinet would not interfere.

With acknowledgement to Angela Quintal and Cape Times.