Publication: Business Day Issued: Date: 2007-12-31 Reporter: Chantelle Benjamin

Call for Zuma Charges to be Dropped

 

Publication 

Business Day
Date 2007-12-31
Reporter Chantelle Benjamin

Web Link

www.businessday.co.za

 

The Congress of South African Trade Unions (Cosatu) and the Young Communist League (YCL) have no faith in the judiciary's objectivity when it comes to the coming corruption trial of African National Congress (ANC) president Jacob Zuma, due to political pressure from the government, they say.

The two groups, and the South African Communist Party (SACP) called at the weekend for charges against Zuma to be dropped because of the inability to give him a fair trial and for the "reopening of the investigation of the arms deal", so that "all those involved could be brought to book" *1.

Zuma, who is scheduled to go on trial on August 14 next year on 18 charges of corruption, fraud, racketeering and money laundering totalling R4m, was charged afresh three days after Christmas and less than two weeks before he is to deliver his first ANC anniversary address as its new president .

Cosatu spokesman Patrick Craven said yesterday: "It does not matter who the judge is, we do not believe the judiciary will be able to be objective. The trial against Zuma is a politically motivated exercise *2 ... and he has been subjected to trial by public opinion for the past seven years.

"We have been convinced for some time that he will not get a fair trial, after (then National Prosecuting Authority head Bulelani) Ngcuka announced to the media that the National Prosecuting Authority (NPA) had a prima facie case against Zuma."

Concerns about objectivity come despite Zuma being acquitted of rape charges last year in the Johannesburg High Court, and SA having a reputation for an independent judiciary.

But Craven insists that this trial is different.

"There was never any concern that he would get a fair trial in the rape case, but this a politically inspired campaign, and ... state institutions have been, and are still being, manipulated and used to settle factional battles within the movement."

YCL spokesman Castro Ngobese said the organisation had been consistent in asking that Zuma be given his day in court, but that was under the assumption that it would be a fair trail.

Among allegations made by Cosatu, the YCL and the SACP ­ in support of the claim that the motive for the trial is that President Thabo Mbeki and his camp are angry at him being ousted as ANC president at the party conference in Polokwane this month ­ is that the acting national director of the NPA, Mokotedi Mpshe, was promised a full-time position if he pursued the case against Zuma. Mpshe was believed to have met "senior political office bearers" the day before making his decision to prosecute Zuma.

They also questioned the timing of the announcement of the new charges and why the NPA chose the last day of the ANC conference to announce to the media that it had sufficient evidence to prosecute Zuma.

Mpshe denied rumours that Mbeki was behind the charges against Zuma, saying Mbeki had not been aware there were plans to charge Zuma or what the charges were.

With acknowledgements to Chantelle Benjamin and Business Day.


*1       Now there we have complete agreement.


*2      If the trial against Zuma is a politically motivated exercise, why does it follow that the judiciary will not be able to be objective.

Despite their not inconsiderable faults, High Court judges have not in general demonstrated themselves to be particularly political and Supreme Court judges even less so.

Indeed, under the current circumstances, there might be an equal if not greater concern that If the judiciary would not be able to be objective, then this would be to Zuma's advantage rather than disadvantage.

There again, there are also Accused 2 and Accused 3, the Two Thints.

Cosatu and the SACP want the reopening of the investigation of the arms deal so that all those involved could be brought to book.

Don't they want Thint Holdings and Thint (Pty) to be brought to book?

Or can they also go free because they are buddies of their hero.

Some persons and parties have principles, but they also have others.


A Good Deal

Accused 1 can simply give evidence against these racketeers in exchange for a non-custodial sentence and volia, ve has da perfect recipe for garlic dumplings with escargot and a touch of forest truffle.


One Last Thing

People can take it from me that President Mbeki is not looking forward in the slightest to the Zuma/Two Thints trial or a conviction on corruption or racketeering.

He needs these like a hole right between the eyes from a umshini wami.

He would far rather see the R15 to R25 million that the taxpayer is going to spend as allocated through a budget allocation of the Department of the Presidency on Zuma's defence being instrumental in securing a technical defeat of the charges and/or prosecution.