SA: Constitutional Court directs parties in Zuma’s case to file responses

South African Constitutional Court has directed parties in Ex-President Jacob Zuma’s contempt of court case to file submissions to pave the way for determination of the matter.

The Constitutional Court by majority decision sentenced the former South African Leader H.E Jacob Zuma to 15 months jail term over civil contempt charges after he failed to show up at Zondo Commission.

Having started his jail term at a Correctional Facility in South Africa, Mr. Zuma has filed a fresh reversal application to overturn the constitutional court verdict.

The grounds for Mr. Zuma’s latest reversal application are that his rights have been infringed upon by the Constitutional because he was convicted without trial for failing to show up at the Zondo Commission despite the Constitutional Court order to show up for questioning.

The bone of contention is that Jacob Zuma was solely convicted for civil contempt of court.

The South African Constitutional Court upon Zuma’s reversal application, has issued a new order to parties in the matter to file their submissions on UN Covenant which was not relied upon by any of the parties in the matter during application.

Source : africaneditors.com

South African Ex-President Jacob Zuma removes his eyeglasses as he addresses the press at his home in Nkandla, KwaZulu-Natal on July 4, 2021. The former South Africa’s Leader H.E Zuma, ordered to surrender himself to serve a 15-month jail term over civil contempt of court charges by the Constitutional Court on July 4, 2021, insisted hat he would not comply with the Constitutional Court order. “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 were camped outside in solidarity.