Will 93 000 documents be Zuma’s undoing?
When the Scorpions raided the homes of ANC president Jacob Zuma and his attorney in 2005 they seized no fewer than 93 000 documents. These pages were to form part of the National Prosecuting Authority’s (NPA) case against the popular politician. But Zuma’
President in waiting faces 16 charges
Although the ANC has indicated that they respect the Constitutional Court ruling there is no doubt that the organisation is doing everything in its power to ensure that Zuma replaces Thabo Mbeki as South Africa’s president. How far is the organisation prepared to go? The Mail & Guardian answers this question in their recent article titled “ANC’s three-pronged plan to save Zuma.” They allege that “a ‘brains trust’ of legal and academic experts is helping the ANC device a strategy to get its president, Jacob Zuma, off the hook…”
The three key pieces of this strategy include: Strikes against the NPA, strikes against the country’s courts and the effective use of the organisations majority in Parliament. The first offensive involves questioning the fairness of the NPA action against Zuma and using the media to show that “Zuma has been singled out [for prosecution] while others had been left untouched.” Part two of the strategy is to cast doubt on the independence of the country’s judiciary. Some of these seeds have already been sown through the Cape Town High Court Judge versus the Constitutional Court bout currently being adjudicated by the Judicial Services Commission. And strike three would be for Parliament “to bring a close to the entire arms deal saga.” The Mail & Guardian suggests Parliament might go as far as proposing an amnesty to all participants in the arms deal. How shocking would that be?
It’s business as usual for Zuma. He has spent the last six months on a global ‘charm offensive’ meeting influential businessmen and political leaders in Europe, China and India to name a few. This alone provides a leading indicator of the likelihood of a successful Zuma prosecution. The rest of the country is left wondering how the ANC could possibly back a candidate who is facing 16 charges: one count of racketeering, two counts of corruption, one count of money laundering and 12 counts of fraud. Should popularity really be allowed to hold sway in this situation?
Bringing tensions to boiling point
All the evidence suggests that it will. The ANC has a two thirds majority in South Africa – and Zuma enjoys at least two thirds of the ANC’s support. If we extrapolate this across the 48 million citizens in this country we come to a staggering 20 million Zuma supporters. Of course the number is never likely to be this big; but you appreciate where we’re going with the analysis. We doubt if the matter was put to a vote that Zuma would have to trial...
But law is not a democracy. The support of every citizen in a country cannot condone an individual’s legal transgressions. And that’s what the ANC and other Zuma supporters need to realise.
Cries of a political conspiracy
FAnews Online is tired of the ANC and other affiliated movement’s attempts to cast aspersions on the South African judiciary. Each ruling that goes against their ‘man’ results in fresh accusations of biased judges, political vendettas and racism. It’s time for the top leaders in these organisations to accept that the country’s constitution is bigger than the individual. It’s in the entire country’s best interest to get the Zuma trial behind us. By continually stalling the trial Zuma’s lawyers are walking an extremely dangerous path.
If Zuma is elected to the position of president of South Africa before his trial is handled a potentially explosive situation develops. His supporters have already stated that they’re prepared to take up arms to support him… All it would take is a national broadcast of ‘uMshini Wami’ and the entire country could end up embroiled in an unnecessary plague of violence.
Editors’ thoughts:
In the ideal world no person is above the law. A country’s legal framework is what stands between an ordered society and absolute anarchy. As things stand the average South African already has scant regard for laws – choosing to obey those which are convenient at a given time. You need only spend a few hours on the country’s roads to appreciate this statement. Can South Africa afford to grant amnesty to those accused of arms deal transgressions? Add your comments below, or send them to gareth@fanews.co.za
