Zuma vs ConCourt: Afriforum joins JZ’s rescission application

Afriforum has now entered the fray in former president Jacob Zuma’s bid to avoid jail time: The lobby group has directed its lawyers to join Zuma’s rescission application at the Constitutional Court.

Afriforum wants to join as a friend of the court and believes that Zuma is receiving special treatment.

“AfriForum has ordered its legal team to start preparations to join the court application of former president Jacob Zuma – as a friend of the court (amicus curiae) in order to demonstrate that the special treatment Mr Zuma is currently receiving by (sic) the court is a violation of the principle that everyone should be treated as equal before the law,” the lobby group said.

Afriforum’s CEO Kallie Kriel said ordinary citizens would not be afforded the same treatment as the former president, had they been in his shoes.

Zuma was scheduled to hand himself over to police on Sunday and start serving his sentence, but he has managed to avoid that after the Constitutional Court agreed to hear his application to rescind its decision to send him to jail on 12 July. JZ has definitely lawyered up and claims in his court papers, there are no valid grounds for him to sent to the slammer.

“I am advised that before I walk through the prison doors to serve my sentence as the first direct prisoner of the Constitutional Court under our Constitutional democracy, it will not be futile to make one last attempt to invite the Constitutional Court to relook its decision and to merely reassess whether it has acted within the constitution or, erroneously, beyond the powers vested in the court by the constitution,” Zuma said.

Afriforum unhappy with the Constitutional Court’s decision

Afriforum, which has long been a fierce critic of Jacob Zuma, has however lauded the initial ruling by the highest court in the land, finding him guilty of contempt. The verdict was in favour of the State Capture Commission, which had approached the apex court, after Zuma refused to appear, in violation of ANOTHER ruling by the same court.

The lobby group now takes issue with the latest decision by the court.

“While the Constitutional Court’s initial ruling against Zuma was widely applauded as a victory for the principle of equality before the law, the latest developments have caused serious damage to the credibility of the judiciary,” Kriel said.