Alleged corruption: Again, South Africa Zuma snubs anti-graft panel

South Africa’s embattled former president Jacob Zuma failed to appear on Monday before a judicial panel probing corruption during his nine-year tenure, again defying a court order for him to testify.

Zuma, 79, who has snubbed previous summonses by the commission, refused to comply with the order from the constitutional court which ruled last month that he has to appear before the panel this week.

The court in January ruled that Zuma had no right to remain silent during the proceedings.

He accuses the commission of bias and has demanded that its chair, deputy Chief Justice Raymond Zondo, recuse himself from the anti-graft inquiry.

In a letter penned by Zuma’s legal representatives, Mabuza attorneys, his lawyers said their client “would not be appearing before the commission on 15-19 February”.

Adding that appearing before deputy chief Justice Zondo would “undermine and invalidate the review application over his decision not to recuse himself”.

Zuma’s resistance comes a day after the ruling African National Congress reiterated the need for all its members to cooperate with the commission.

“To allow anything else would lead to anarchy and open the floodgates easily for counter-revolution,” the ANC said in a statement on Sunday. Punch