South Africa’s Constitutional Court on Friday shot down former president Jacob Zuma’s application to rescind his 15-month sentence because there was no trial when he was convicted and sent to prison after he failed to appear before – a panel established to probe high-level corruption during his term of office.
The Constitutional Court found that Zuma did not meet the statutory requirements to rescind the application, judge Sisi Khampepe said when he delivered judgement.
Khampepe said the court found that Zuma failed to demonstrate why the order was erroneously granted.
Zuma wanted the apex court to overturn its earlier judgement, arguing that his rights were violated as incarceration did not follow a criminal case.
Zuma’s contempt of court conviction and sentence stemmed from his defiance of the Constitutional Court order to continue to appear before the Commission of Inquiry into State Capture, which he refused.
The former president’s lawyer Dali Mpofu had argued that his client was the only prisoner in the country who was jailed without trial.
But on behalf of the State Capture Commission, lawyer Thembeka Ngcukaitobi said Zuma refused to state his case and instead chose to make disparaging remarks against the apex court.
Zuma has also been ordered to pay the costs of the secretary of the Commission, the Helen Suzman Foundation and the Council for the Advancement of the South African Constitution.
The former president was granted medical parole a few weeks ago after serving only two months of his sentence – a decision some civil society organisations in the country are challenging.
NM/jn/APA