South Africa’s top court on Thursday instructed the ex-president Jacob Zuma to appear before a judicial panel examining alleged graft during his nine-year incumbency, ruling he had no right to remain silent during the proceedings.
Zuma is incriminated of enabling runaway looting of state assets during his time in office, which ended when he was forced out in February 2018.
The 78-year-old former leader has neglected summonses by the commission, which is chaired by Deputy Chief Justice Raymond Zondo.
He first said the commission was treating him as an “accused” rather than a witness and then contended bias and demanded that Zondo recuse himself.
He only gave testimony to the commission once, in July 2019, but staged a walkout days later. Since then, Zuma has not testified again, citing health concerns or his preparation for another corruption case related to a 1990s arms deal.
In a case filed by the commission, the Constitutional Court on Thursday ruled Zuma’s action amounted to “a direct breach of the law” and that he had to appear and testify before the panel on the dates set by it.
“In our system, no-one is above the law… Jacob Zuma does not have rights to remain silent in proceeding before the commission,” ruled Justice Chris Jafta.
