DEPUTY Chief Justice Raymond Zondo has welcomed the decision by the Constitutional Court on former president Jacob Zuma, saying it reaffirms the supermacy of the Constitution and the principle that no one is above the law.
Zondo was briefing the media on Tuesday’s Constitutional Court judgment on Zuma’s contempt of court case.
He said the court’s decision reaffirmed the supremacy of the Constitution.
Zondo said it would have been better to have had Zuma appear before commission because he was implicated by at least 40 witnesses.
“But the commission has called several witnesses who have given evidence and many of them corroborating one another on various issues. So, I am satisfied that in the end, the commission will be able to make clear findings based on the evidence it has,” said Zondo.
“You must remember that all the affidavits of witnesses who have implicated Mr Zuma have been sent to him. He knows what those witnesses have said against him, and he has chosen to keep quiet and not deny or admit to the allegations.”
Zuma was sentenced to 15 months in jail for defying a court order to appear before the State Capture Inquiry.
He also announced that the inquiry has been granted an extension until the end of September.
The commission will hear oral evidence from important witnesses, including President Cyril Ramapahosa.
Despite running out of time, Zondo said members of the Gupta family have – however – filed responding affidavits to the allegations levelled against them.
“Having said that I must indicate that the Guptas did file some affidavits with information in response to certain witnesses. Not all witnesses in regard with certain witnesses where they put their version,” he said.
The family has been at the height of allegations of state capture. These include using their companies and political connections to secure contracts from the South African government.
Companies linked to the family benefited to the tune of over R16 billion derived from state contracts.
This comes as the high court in Pretoria granted the commission yet another extension until September in order to conclude its work.
Zondo said he would use this most of the time to compile a report into state capture.
The almost three-year long commission has cost South Africa almost a R1 billion.
- Own Correspondent
