WATCH: Zondo’s response to Zuma’s no-show at commission

The Commission of Inquiry into Allegations of State Capture was set to resume proceedings on Monday morning to hear testimony from former president Jacob Zuma.

However, Zuma’s lawyers confirmed in a letter to the commission that their client would not be appearing as scheduled from 5 February 2021 to 19 February 2021.

UPDATE: Zondo commission to ask ConCourt to jail Zuma for contempt

Zuma was compelled by the Constitutional Court (ConCourt) in January to appear before the commission and answer questions put to him.

But Zuma’s lawyers said he was still waiting for the outcome of his Pretoria High Court application challenging Deputy Chief Justice Raymond Zondo’s decision in November 2020 not to rescue himself from hearing their client’s testimony.

Zondo dismisses Zuma’s reasons for defying ConCourt order

Meanwhile, Justice Zondo dismissed Zuma’s reasons for not appearing before the commission to answer questions as compelled by the ConCourt.

Zondo argued that Zuma’s lawyers were aware that the ConCourt was informed of the review application in the high court.

“When the commission launched its application to the Constitutional Court, Mr Zuma was served with a full set of papers, and his attorneys were given a courtesy copy, as far as I recall from what I was told,” he said.

“In that application, the point is made quite clear that the commission was aware that Mr Zuma intended to launch a review application in regard to the recusal application and it was contended by the secretary of the commission that that would be no grounds for him not to appear before the commission in the meantime.

“He and his lawyers knew that this was one of the points that were being made by the commission before the Constitutional Court.”

Watch the proceedings below, courtesy of SABC News.

For more news your way, download The Citizen’s app for iOS and Android.