Zondo to issue Zuma with summons, but his lawyers will fight it

A lawyer for former president Jacob Zuma has indicated that he will be opposing an application put forward by the commission of inquiry into state capture’s legal team, for the issuing of a summons compelling Zuma to appear before the commission.

Daniel Mantsha said the former president’s legal team would respond to the application on Tuesday.

“Former president Zuma is opposing the commission application set down for Tuesday,” said Mantsha.

The commission released a media statement last week notifying the public that the legal proceedings would include chairperson of the commission Deputy Chief Justice Raymond Zondo hearing an application put forward by the commission’s legal team to issue an order that Zuma be summoned to appear.

If the application is successful, Zuma will be summoned to appear before the commission from January 27 to 31. It is not clear on what issues he will be asked to give further testimony.

The evidence of Colonel Christine Anderson in relation to “certain aspects of the landing of the Gupta aircraft at the Waterkloof Air Force Base” will also be heard on the same day.

READ MORE: They called last night and said they would kill me, Zuma tells Zondo

Two witnesses are set to appear to matters unrelated to the Waterkloof case.

The commission also added that evidence regarding law enforcement agencies will be heard from January 15 to 22.

It was reported last week that former mineral resources and public administration minister Ngoako Ramatlhodi failed his bid to have former president Jacob Zuma undergo a lie detector test to prove claims he made at the commission of inquiry that he was an apartheid spy.

Ramatlhodi told IOL that the commission did not have a provision to force witnesses who had come before it to do that. He was told he should file an affidavit which would force Zuma to substantiate claims against him.

In July, Zuma branded Ramatlhodi a spy and accused him of lying when he told the commission that Zuma had auctioned the country off to the Gupta family.

(Compiled by Daniel Friedman. Additional reporting, Molefe Seeletsa)

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