No more giggles for Zuma after perjury charge

He’s widely known as the “giggling president” but Wednesday’s court judgment – and yesterday’s perjury charge laid by the Democratic Alliance – may well have put the kibosh on any more laughter from Jacob Zuma as he steps down at the ANC elective conference tomorrow.

“It’s no laughing matter anymore for the president when it comes to dealing with the issues of state capture and obfuscating, as has been the case,” political analyst Daniel Silke told The Citizen.

“I think it’s a pretty damning blow to the president, particularly just before the conference. “It creates major complications in terms of the way forward and how the successor chosen over the weekend will indeed deal with the matter in the future,” Silke said.

DA national spokesperson Refiloe Ntsekhe yesterday laid a charge of perjury against Zuma at Rosebank police station – the latest in a long list.

The charge stemmed from Gauteng Judge President Dunstan Mlambo’s observation that Zuma had filed conflicting statements under oath, and blamed the conflict on a typing error.

“That the president continued to take legal action preventing the release of the report, despite knowing that it had been finalised, is further evidence of his perjury,” said Ntsekhe.

SA will watch the ANC elective conference with keen interest as Zuma prepares to hand over a fractured governing party to his successor.

On the one hand there is Cyril Ramaphosa, who may remove Zuma and ensure the party’s success at the 2019 polls; on the other Nkosazana Dlamini-Zuma, who many feel will be an extension of Zuma and strengthen the DA’s position at the upcoming polls.

Opposition leader Mmusi Maimane backed Ramaphosa. “Because then we’ll stop talking personalities. We must talk policy.

That’s the issue. “At the moment, it’s the ANC’s policies which have kept SA poor and increased unemployment,” Maimane said.

“What can Cyril and NDZ change? It’s policy. If we are going to achieve change, we need a change in the whole system; we need a new beginning – that’s the fundamental issue.” Maimane said 2018 was going to be tough for the country. “It doesn’t matter who leads the ANC, the economics are tough – but I think we can go forward and get the election.

“The power is always with the people.” Maimane punted a possible scenario which saw the ANC putting an interim president in place before Ramaphosa took over, much like Kgalema Motlanthe did when Thabo Mbeki resigned.

“Why should South Africans be spectators to the ANC’s sideshow? Take the power and go to the polls,” Maimane said.

Zuma stepping down as ANC leader creates an uncomfortable position for the country with two centres of power, one in government and one in the governing party.

“So, the pressure is not only on the president but also on the future leadership structures of the ANC to effectively manage any fallout from the judicial inquiry in the months ahead,” Silke said.

The DA yesterday floated R6 million as an estimate of how much Zuma has to pay in legal fees, as ordered by Mlambo.

“This figure compromises an estimate of R4.45 million for litigants who brought the action, as well as R1.5 million that was paid to his own legal team,” said the DA’s James Selfe.

– amandaw@citizen.co.za

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