South Africa: Former President Jacob Zuma Found Guilty of Contempt of Court

GCIS
Former president Jacob Zuma (file photo).
21 June 2021
allAfrica.com
By Esther Rose

Cape Town — Former president Jacob Zuma has been found guilty of contempt of court by the Constitutional Court.

Acting  Deputy Chief Justice Sisi Khampepe in delivering the verdict, emphasised the extraordinary attacks by Zuma on the legitimacy of the Constitutional Court. "Never before has the authority and legitimacy of the Constitutional Court been subjected against these kinds of attacks".

Khampepe said that "Zuma, unfortunately, but not unexpectedly, squandered an opportunity to respect the rule of law in this country," Khampepe says about the 21-page letter the former president sent to Chief Justice Moegeng Mogoeng, calling it "scandalous".

Justice Khampepe noted that Zuma is not an ordinary litigant but is the former president, who still wields political power and who can influence others to disregard court. "If his conduct is met with impunity, he will do significant damage to the rule of law".

Zuma has been sentenced to 15 months imprisonment.

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