Image: Daily Maverick
Faizel Patel – 12/04/2021
Freedom Under Law says there is not a huge concern surrounding the decision by the Constitutional Court asking former President Jacob Zuma to propose an appropriate sentence if he is found guilty of contempt of court.
Zuma’s lawyer Eric Mabuza on Friday confirmed that Zuma had received the letter that News24 said was from Chief Justice Mogoeng Mogoeng.
In it, Zuma has been given until Wednesday to reply with an affidavit of not more than 15 pages.
Zuma had failed to appear at the commission after the Constitutional Court ordered him to respect its summons.
Speaking to Radio Islam, Freedom Under Law’s Nicole Fritz says the Apex Court is giving Zuma another opportunity to have his case heard.
“I think that that is a probably a clever strategy on their part and I don’t think its necessary something that should unduly concern those of us concerned with the rule of law.”
At the same time, Fritz says Freedom Under Law has welcomed the report that Western Cape Judge President John Hlophe has been found guilty of gross misconduct by the Judicial Service Commission (JSC).
Constitutional Court justices, Chris Japhta and Bess Nkabinde, claimed that Hlophe approached them to influence a decision on a case involving former President Jacob Zuma and French arms company, Thales.
The ruling against Hlophe came more than a decade after the claims were first made.
Fritz says the decision against Hlophe is not politically motivated.
“It’s taken 13-year-to get to this point. There is a fairly elaborate process as prescribed by our constitution and then in terms of the Judicial Services Commission act. It’s hard to see how, given the independence of this process how it could be said to be a politically motivated process.”
Opposition parties Hlophe must now face the consequences.
Listen to the interview with Nicole Fritz
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