Nzimande 'Not Surprised' by Zuma Judgment [Sapa, 2008-07-31]

Publication: Sapa Issued: Johannesburg Date: 2008-07-31 Reporter: Sapa

Nzimande 'Not Surprised' by Zuma Judgment

Publication	Sapa BC-CONCOURT-ZUMA-REAX
Issued	Johannesburg
Reporter	Sapa
Date	2008-07-31

SA Communist Party secretary general Blade Nzimande said he was not surprised *1 that ruling party leader Jacob Zuma and arms company Thint lost their appeal on Thursday against search warrants and a request for documents.

"We expected this. The whole Hlophe matter, we have said, was actually preparing us for this," Nzimande told reporters outside the Constitutional Court, referring to Judge John Hlophe's alleged attempts to interfere in the Zuma judgment.

"[This case] will go down in history as the first political trial, post-apartheid," added Nzimande.

He said he was concerned about the perceptions created about judgments being handed down shortly before Zuma's application on Monday to have the case against him reviewed.

Nzimande said he was concerned about the way the Constitutional Court behaved in the run-up to the judgments.

"Irrespective of whatever is happening, he [Zuma] is going to be the president of the Republic *2," said Nzimande.

ANC Youth League spokesman Zizi Kodwa agreed.

"The struggle continues. This is not a trial court. Therefore, it is not a judgment of guilty in any way. The real task is on Monday."

With acknowledgements to Sapa.

*1       Nobody should be surprised as this is the only logical outcome.

*2      Unfortunately, this could be true.

The rot started with Two Donkeys Bulelani and Penuell in August 2003 and only the dedicated efforts of the prosecuting and investigation teams, in the face of enormous odds, have made a trial possible at all.

*3      This is going to be a hard ask.

Although Judge Chris Nicholson is clearly going to fully perform his judicial duty, it will not take a PhD or LlD in law and/or 40 years on the bench to determine the correct outcome in this legally trivial, but politically fraught, matter.

Questions

Are the Judge, Assessors and State Counsel allowed to wear bullet-proof vests under their robes?
Are these standard Department of Justice issued items?
Or are they privately acquired?
Are they made of composite materials; kevlar and high-tensile metals?
For how many continuous hours sitting down can a middle-aged man wear one comfortably?
For how many continuous hours standing up can a middle-aged man wear one comfortably?
Is it worth wearing a kevlar helmet when driving to the court complex or walking to the court room?
If a kevlar helmet is not available, is it worth wearing a 1976-vintage SADF steel helmet with plastic inner while driving to the court complex or walking to the court room (not necessarily with hessian outer cover and an attractive arrangement of tufts of indigenous grasses and/or twigs of indigenous trees and/or bushes?
Is the wearing in public of a 1976-vintage SADF steel helmet with plastic inner while not on official SANDF duty a statutory offence?
Would the wearing of a 1976-vintage SADF steel helmet with plastic inner while driving to the court complex or walking to the court room be branded by COSATU, the SACP, the ANCYL or any other political grouping as racist or anachronistic?
Will a 1976-vintage SADF steel helmet with plastic inner adequate protect its wearer against a 9 mm parabellum round fired at a range of less than 8 metres?
Will a US Army kevlar helmet adequately protect its wearer against a 9 mm parabellum round fired at a range of less than 8 metres?
If a helmet is able to adequately protect its wearer from a handgun round, will they be required to report for judging, assessing, prosecuting or witness duty the next court day?
If not, when will they be required to report for duty?
What lengths of delay in outcome are achievable by shooting the Judge, the Assessors, the State Prosecutors or the State Witnesses?
Are the lengths of delay in outcome equivalent whether the targets are eliminated in or out of the court room?
What measures have Department of Justice prepared should blood be split of the floor of the court room or any other parts of the premises of the court complex?
What will be the official attitude of the Supreme Court of Appeal should the Judge, the Assessors, the State Prosecutors or the State Witnesses be shot dead during trial proceeding of the High Court?
What will be the official attitude of the Supreme Court of Appeal should the Judge, the Assessors, the State Prosecutors or the State Witnesses be shot and wounded during trial proceeding of the High Court?
What will be the official attitude of the Constitutional Court should the Judges or State Prosecutors be shot dead during trial proceeding of the Supreme Court of Appeal?
What will be the official attitude of the Constitutional Court should the Judges or State Prosecutors be shot and wounded during trial proceeding of the Supreme Court of Appeal?
What will be the attitude of the Accused should the Judges, the Assessors, the State Prosecutors or the State Witnesses shot dead during any of the trial or appeal proceedings?
What will be the attitude of the Accused should the Judges, the Assessors, the State Prosecutors or the State Witnesses shot and wounded during any of the trial or appeal proceedings?

It should never be said that there was the opportunity, but these questions were never asked.