SAfrica's Zuma Refuses Surrender To Police By Deadline
Fahad Shabbir (@FahadShabbir) Published July 05, 2021 | 08:50 AM
Nkandla, South Africa, July 5 (UrduPoint / Pakistan Point News - 5th Jul, 2021 ) :South Africa's former president Jacob Zuma, ordered to surrender himself to start a 15-month jail term for contempt, said Sunday he would not be doing so by the court-set deadline.
"No need for me to go to jail today," he told journalists at his Nkandla homestead in Kwa-Zulu Natal province, where hundreds of his supporters are camped outside in solidarity.
"They cannot accept papers and expect me to go to jail," he said, referring to his legal challenge of the sentence.
"Sending me to jail during the height of a pandemic, at my age, is the same as sentencing me to death," he added.
Earlier, the former president, 79, had told supporters his "constitutional rights were abused" by judges of the country's constitutional court.
He and his legal team had written to the court to plead their case that the sentencing had been wrong, in a bid to either reduce it our strike it out entirely, he added.
He led supporters in a rendition of the anti-apartheid song "Umshini Wami" (Bring Me My Machine Gun), which has become his signature tune.
Zuma's supporters have vowed to render South Africa ungovernable if he is jailed.
Zuma was sentenced to the jail term for contempt of court on Tuesday after he repeatedly refused to appear before corruption investigators to give evidence.
The investigating committee set up in 2018 to look into allegations of corruption against the former president has already heard from around 40 witnesses.
The court gave him five days to surrender to the authorities, which made the deadline Sunday.
The South African court nonetheless agreed to hear his legal challenge to rescind the order, and that hearing will take place on July 12.
Cathleen Powell, a South African law professor, told AFP the decision to hear Zuma's challenge did not suspend the constitutional court ruling.
In a show of force, loyalists clad in their African National Congress (ANC) regalia have been outside their embattled leader's home for weeks.
"When I saw the police here I wondered 'how will they get to me, how will they get through all these people?'," Zuma said earlier as he continued to mock South African authorities.
"If (Police Minister) Bheki Cele comes here to arrest uBaba (Zuma) he must start with us," supporter Lindokuhle Maphalala told AFP.
Vowing to protect Zuma, the protesters called for President Cyril Ramaphosa to step down.
"We are here to say Ramaphosa must step down. Must step down", a visibly angry loyalist said. "As from Monday we will make the country ungovernable." Police, under orders to arrest Zuma if necessary, were stationed across the province on Sunday to control the crowds descending on Nkandla.
Now that he has said he will not turn himself in, police have a further three days to arrest him.
"He probably won't be jailed by Wednesday, but I can't see him being charged twice with defying an order of court," said constitutional expert Lawson Naidoo.
But he added: "If they don't (arrest Zuma) South Africa will be and can be considered a failed state, in which the rule of law does not apply and does not matter." For South African political analyst Ralph Mathekga the latest developments were "nonsense".
"This is embarrassing for the country and this thing is happening simply because there is a threat of political instability," he told AFP.
"His power is fading nevertheless," Mathekga added. "Zuma is a politician of yesterday." Some fear the ruling ANC could face a serious political crisis between those who back Zuma and others loyal to Ramaphosa, who has campaigned on a pledge to fight corruption.
Over the weekend, the ruling ANC sent representatives to speak with Zuma at his home, which was renovated while he was president at a cost of around 20 million Euros ($24 million) to the taxpayer.
The party cancelled a meeting of its National Executive Committee (NEC) citing the unresolved situation in Kwazulu-Natal.
As well as the committee investigating him, Zuma has also been accused of involvement in a bribery affair dating back more than 20 years.
He faces 16 charges of fraud, graft and racketeering relating to a 1999 purchase of fighter jets, patrol boats and military gear from five European arms firms for 30 billion rand, then the equivalent of nearly $5 billion.
Related Topics
Recent Stories
HEC reviews curricula for environmental sciences degree programme
ICC Asia looking forward to an action-packed Asia Cricket Week
Yuvraj Singh named ICC Men’s T20 World Cup 2024 Ambassador
Greece hands Olympic flame to 2024 Paris Games hosts
Two Kyiv hospitals evacuating over feared Russian strikes
World must act on neurotech revolution, say experts
Charles & Catherine's cancer diagnoses
Champions Alcaraz and Sabalenka through in Madrid Open
King Charles to resume some public duties during cancer treatment: palace
US defense chief announces $6 bn in security aid for Ukraine
Heavy rains cause damage to Spezand-Taftan railway track
Woman stabbed in Israel, attacker killed: police
More Stories From Miscellaneous
-
Modern Education Techniques: A pathway to achieve economic development
19 hours ago -
Kite Flying: From cultural festival to deadly sport
19 hours ago -
PDMA predicts gusty wind, rain with thunder, hails
3 days ago -
Iranian president Raisi given guard of honour at PM House
5 days ago -
Intellectuals, writers accolades Naseer Mirza on his literary contribution
5 days ago -
Bahawalpur Adabi Sangat hosts memorable mushaira
6 days ago
-
Cattle farming vital to alleviate poverty in rural areas
6 days ago -
Pakistan: A land of tourism, archeological wonders
6 days ago -
Transforming education sector: from job hunters to job creators
8 days ago -
Amjad Bobby remembered on 19th death anniversary for timeless contributions to music
12 days ago -
Legendary actor Nadeem’s 26 films released on Eid-ul-Fitr days in 50 years
12 days ago -
Besant Hall Cultural Centre to celebrate evening with Sanam Marvi on 26 April
13 days ago