APA-Johannesburg (South Africa) Former South African president Jacob Zuma has given President Cyril Ramaphosa until May 11 to dismiss Chief Justice Raymond Zondo from office or face a legal challenge over the appointment of the ‘dishonest’ top lawyer.
Through his lawyers, Zuma wrote to Ramaphosa on Thursday calling for the removal of Zondo, accusing the chief justice of not disclosing – during interviews with the Judicial Service Commission (JSC) last year – the true nature of his relationship with the former president.
The former president is arguing that Zondo should have been disqualified due to his clearly untruthful and dishonest account of meetings privately held with Zuma.
“Among several other disqualifying factors is the fact that Zondo had at the time and still does continue to ignore an application brought by Zuma against his non-recusal from sitting as chairperson of the so-called State Capture Commission in respect of his appearance and/or participation in those proceedings and based on, inter alia, the previous relationships and other dealings between Zondo and Zuma,” the lawyers said.
Zondo chaired a commission that probed cases of state capture during Zuma’s decade-long reign from 2008-2018, which involved the manipulation of state institutions and procurement procedures to benefit the former president’s associates.
In a report submitted to Ramaphosa late last year, the commission found evidence of serious manipulation of systems during Zuma’s administration.
Ramaphosa appointed Zondo in April last year after consultation with the Judicial Service Commission and leaders of parties in the National Assembly on four nominees for the chief justice position – Mbuyiseli Madlanga, Mandisa Maya, Dunstan Mlambo and Zondo.
Zuma argued that Ramaphosa was irrational when he appointed Zondo to his current position, given that he had been “correctly ranked last by the JSC following its post-interview deliberations.”
“This means that, in the independent view of the JSC, all the other three nominees performed far better than Zondo and he was determined to be the least suitable or an unsuitable candidate,” Zuma said.
He added: “It is therefore inexplicable and seemingly irrational that you nevertheless elected to ignore or overlook the informed recommendations of the JSC in making the relevant appointment.”
Responding to the former president’s demand, presidential spokesperson Vincent Magwenya said the presidency was unfazed by Zuma’s antics.
“Beneath Zuma’s guise of a self-proclaimed and righteous guardian of our constitutional democracy is a contemptuous denial of President Ramaphosa’s leadership of the governing party and the country,” Magwenya said.
He said Zuma continued to demonstrate his “scornful attitude” towards democratic processes that did not pander to his desires and whims.
He said Ramaphosa would not waste any of his time considering “such illogical demands, as this was another element of a broader harassment campaign against the president from Zuma.”
“Zuma can continue with another frivolous court action if he so desires,” Magwenya added.
NM/jn/APA