Zuma vs Zondo: Will the Constitutional Court send JZ to jail?

The Constitutional Court is expected to deliver judgement on a bid by the State Capture Commission to have former president Jacob Zuma sent to jail for his refusal to appear before the proceedings.

The ruling, which will be handed down on Tuesday morning, 29 June 2021 at 10:00, is most certainly one for the books – should the apex decide in favour of the commission, Zuma’s supporters have basically vowed to create complete warfare.

The commission wants a two-year jail term imposed on Zuma and nothing else. When the matter was heard in March 2021, advocate Tembeka Ngcukaitobi told the Constitutional Court that they no longer wanted Zuma to appear.

“His (Zuma’s) conduct must be seen for what it is – a cynical manoeuvre to avoid accountability. Zuma has made public utterances against this court that are false, malicious and unjustified. (He has made) unfounded comparisons between this court and the apartheid judiciary (and) attempted to discredit this court and its members, ” Ngcukaitobi said.

The State Capture Commission vs Zuma – how did we get here?

The row between the State Capture Commission and Jacob Zuma actually matter stems from the former president’s defiance of another ruling by the Constitutional Court, compelling him to appear and make submissions, following several delays on his end. Well, it turns out that not even the highest court in the land could convince him to take the stand – instead of complying with the apex court, Zuma unexpectedly launched a scathing attack on both the commission and the country’s judiciary.

“It is clear that the laws of this country are politicised even at the highest court in the land. Recently at the State Capture Commission, allegations made against the judiciary have been overlooked and suppressed by the chairperson himself,” Zuma said at the time.

At least 34 witnesses who appeared before the commission have implicated Zuma in corruption and other kinds of wrongdoing.

On his end, Zuma has maintained he is willing to go to jail, as per the commission’s request.

“I am resigned to being a prisoner of the Constitutional Court because it is clear to me that the Constitutional Court considers the Zondo Commission to be central to our national life and the search for the national truth on the state of governance during my presidency,” he said.