Zondo’s relationship with sister of Zuma’s estranged wife has ‘no bearing’

The chairperson of the Commission of Inquiry into State Capture, Deputy Chief Justice Raymond Zondo, has clarified “once and for all” the “historical, personal and family relations” former president Jacob Zuma previously said he believed were the source of Zondo’s bias against him.

According to Zondo, Zuma was referring to his (Zondo’s) former relationship from about 25 years ago with a woman whose sister is Zuma’s now-estranged wife, Thobeka Madiba-Zuma.

In a letter dated 28 September 2020 in which Zuma called for Zondo’s recusal, the former president said he believed the commission chair’s “bias against him stems” from the two having “historical personal, family and professional relations” which Zondo should have publicly disclosed before his appointment.

In a statement on Thursday, Zondo said the relationship with Madiba-Zuma’s sister was “in the mid-1990s” when he was still in his 30s “and was still in private practice as a lawyer” and to his knowledge, Zuma and his now-estranged wife had no relationship at the time.

Zondo said a child was born out of his relationship with Madiba-Zuma’s sister.

“That Mr Zuma happened to marry the sister of a woman with whom I had had a relationship that ended so many years before that marriage has never had any bearing on the execution of my judicial functions in the many matters involving Mr Zuma in which I have sat as a Justice of the Constitutional Court since 2012 nor does it have any bearing on the execution of my duties as chairperson of the commission.

“Indeed, in none of the many matters involving Mr Zuma in which I have sat in the past, has Mr Zuma ever expressed any complaint or concern nor has he ever brought an application for my recusal,” Zondo said.

Zondo said he had decided not to respond nor comment following Zuma’s letter “on the basis” that in the letter, it was stated the former president would “lodge an application” for his recusal and would respond “properly” to the allegations once the application had been made.

“It is now more than a month since receipt of that letter and the commission has not received that application.”

Zondo said he thought it necessary to clarify the “historical, personal, family relations” he thinks Zuma was referring to but that at this stage, he does not “intend to address any of the other allegations made in Mr Zuma’s attorney’s letter as I will deal with them if and when Mr Zuma’s application for my recusal is lodged.”

Madiba-Zuma was in the Durban Magistrate’s Court in August on maintenance issues regarding her and Zuma’s teenage daughter.

READ MORE: Zuma denies not paying maintenance for his 14-year-old daughter

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