Former president Jacob Zuma. Picture: Michel Bega
The Jacob Zuma Foundation has thrown down the gauntlet ahead of the application brought by President Cyril Ramaphosa against the former president.
The foundation’s Mzwanele Manyi is drumming up support for the case which was initially scheduled to be heard in the Johannesburg High Court on Tuesday.
However, the case is now expected to be heard on Thursday, 12 January 2023, after a postponement on Monday.
Tensions are clearly heating up with Manyi taking a stab at Ramaphosa.
“This private prosecution has gone from being mocked as something to be ignored into something quite big that now requires a full bench.
“It’ll be interesting to see how the full bench will deal with a defective affidavit from none other than the head of state.”
According to Manyi, the foundation welcomed the advice given to Ramaphosa not to ignore Zuma’s summons.
“This has been exposed to be fundamentally flawed and ultra vires, but on the other hand given the ‘Zuma laws’ we have been subjected to, one hopes that this is not another build-up of another shenanigan,” Manyi said.
Manyi also questioned why the case would require a full bench of the high court.
“Why would such a frivolous case require a full bench at the instance of the Judiciary itself. Typically, it’s one of the parties that normally would request for such. Psst! Frivolous because the main case is set down for 19 January 2023.”
“Is this perhaps one of those exceptional/exclusive treatments for the all-important President Ramaphosa? Would an ordinary citizen be given this kind of attention? Are we all equal before the law? Am just thinking out loud,” he added.
Ramaphosa has not responded to Manyi’s statements.
ALSO READ: Ramaphosa vs Zuma: Urgent interdict application rescheduled
Zuma filed his answering affidavit opposing Ramaphosa’s urgent application to the Johannesburg High Court, interdicting the former president from pursuing his private prosecution against him.
The former president instituted a private prosecution against Ramaphosa on the eve of the African National Congress’ (ANC) national elective conference, accusing the president of being an “accessory after the fact” in a criminal offence alleged against Advocate William Downer, who is accused of improperly sharing information in terms of the NPA Act.
Ramaphosa gave Zuma until 21 December to withdraw his summons, but Zuma remained adamant to prosecute him and that he should appear in court on 19 January.
ALSO READ: ANC will battle to walk Ramaphosa’s talk
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