Zuma defiant, speaks out on judges’ decision against him

A wholly unrepentant former president Jacob Zuma on Monday pulled no punches as he told supporters outside the Pietermaritzburg high court his view of the cause of the 2021 July unrest.

Zuma said he was of the view that the July riots were carried out by those who were revolting against the judges’ decision to send him to prison.

Zuma, who was at the Pietermaritzburg high court for the private prosecution case he initiated against senior prosecutor Billy Downer and New24 journalist, Karyn Maughan, was in July last year sentenced to 15 months for defying a Constitutional Court order to appear before the Zondo Commission.

Addressing his supporters outside the court, Zuma said he received information around the causes of the riots while he was at the Estcourt Prison where he served part of his sentence.

Information was relayed to me that there was chaos in the country — people were revolting against the judges. People were angry.

He was of the opinion that they didn’t agree with the judges’ decision.

There has been speculation that the unrest — which according to some senior ANC members was designed to overthrow the current government led by President Cyril Ramaphosa — was planned by individuals with links to the intelligence sector.