The Constitutional Court has reserved judgment in former president Jacob Zuma’s rescission application.
The former president was convicted and sentenced to 15 months in jail for contempt of court for defying the Apex Court order to appear before the Commission on State Capture.
Monday’s hearing was an almost day long legal battle at the Constitutional Court with others arguing to have South Africa’s former president in jail and others arguing for his release. Representing the former president in his rescission application, Senior Counsel advocate Dali Mpofu said his client was convicted and sent to jail without trial, insisting this is reminiscent of the apartheid South Africa.
But advocate Thembeka Ngcukaitobi for the commission said Zuma in fact squandered his opportunities to state his case and chose to make disparaging remarks and insulted the court and justices of the Apex Court.
This sentiment is also shared by representative of the Helen Suzan Foundation advocate Max Du Plessis, who said Zuma deliberately missed the opportunity by refusing an offer to appear before the commission and the Constitutional Court.
But Advocate Mpofu was adamant that Zuma’s sentencing by the Apex Court is simply unconstitutional, as some of his rights were limited if not ignored in this case.
And after almost ten hours of legal battle, all eyes are now on the justices of the highest court in the land to rule whether Zuma will soon be home or he will serve his jail term until his parole period after 3 months.
Live proceedings of the Zuma rescission application hearing:
The former president’s incarceration has sparked violence in parts of the country, which continued overnight despite President Cyril Ramaphosa’s address calling for calm and restraint.
