#Sona2019: Zuma gives Ramaphosa’s Sona a skip

Former president Jacob Zuma is not present at the State of the Nation (Sona) address being delivered by President Cyril Ramaphosa on Thursday night, June 20.

This was confirmed when President Cyril Ramaphosa only greeted former presidents Kgalema Motlanthe and Thabo Mbeki at the beginning of his speech.

Zuma, meanwhile, made headlines earlier on Thursday after it was reported that the High Court in Pretoria ruled that his appeal of its December 2018 judgment that the agreement he struck with the presidency more than a decade ago to foot his legal bill was invalid and the money already spent should be recovered.

Last year, an amount of R32 million was calculated by the Economic Freedom Fighters (EFF), while the Democratic Alliance (DA) and the presidency estimated that more than R16 million has already been paid for Zuma by taxpayers.

The fees were incurred as far back as 2006, during Zuma’s criminal prosecution in the spy tapes matter.

READ MORE: Zuma hasn’t committed to testifying yet – Zondo commission

Times Select reports that the court dismissed Zuma’s appeal last week.

Zuma made news yet again later on Thursday after reports that he has not yet furnished the commission of inquiry into state capture with an undertaking that he will appear before it.

The commission confirmed this in a statement on Thursday.

This despite the fact that in April this year the commission set aside July 15 to 19 as the dates for Zuma to appear before the inquiry so he could give his side of the story in response to the statements or affidavits and evidence of certain witnesses that had implicated the former president, the commission said.

(Background reporting, Makhosandile Zulu)

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