Jacob Zuma

Former South African President Jacob Zuma rejected a request by the nation’s top court to file an affidavit suggesting what sanction he should face if it finds him guilty of contempt of court for defying its order to testify before the Zondo Commission of enquiry. Last week, Zuma said he would not be filing an affidavit and, in a 21-page letter to chief justice Mogoeng Mogoeng, he explained why. Zuma said the directions were a “sham and an attempt to sanitise the gravity of the repressive manner in which the court has dealt with my issues”. Describing the directions as “political gimmicks”, Zuma said his decision not to participate in the Zondo commission’s court case to the Constitutional Court was a “conscientious objection” to the abuse of judicial authority by the commission.We are joined by Professor Tinyiko Maluleke a political analyst.