Zuma: Former President Aiming to Use Loophole to Get Out of Jail
- Former president Jacob Zuma is trying last-ditch attempt to avoid jail time by challenging the Constitutional Court to review its own decision
- Zuma listed a number of reasons why he should not serve his 15-month prison sentence including the fact that he had not been sentenced in a trial
- He is also alleging that Judge Dhaya's presence on the court panel that sentenced him had "contaminated" the proceedings
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Former president Jacob Zuma is attempting a last-ditch effort to avoid jail time. Zuma is going to ask the Constitutional Court to review its own decision to arrest him.
He filed legal papers that cited a range of factors why he should not go to jail including the fact that he had not been sentenced in a trial.
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According to IOL, Zuma also maintained that the presence of Judge Dhaya Pillay on the court panel that sentenced him amounted to a "contamination" of proceedings.
France24 reported that Zuma does not believe his efforts are futile and he believes that the Constitutional Court acted beyond its mandate.
Last-minute court bid and Westville prison awaits
Former president Jacob Zuma will reportedly be applying to the Constitutional Court to retract its prison sentence on charges of contempt. Zuma, at the same time, will appeal to the Pietermaritzburg High Court to halt his incarceration while awaiting the outcome of the appeal.
30 June, 2021 saw acting Chief Justice Sisi Khampepe formally signing a warrant of commitment for the former head of state. The letter states that Zuma will be held at the Westville Correctional Centre in KwaZulu-Natal.
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Carl Niehaus, the spokesperson of the MKMVA and one of Zuma's strongest supporters, will be hosting a press conference outside Nkandla's main gate on Friday, 2 July, although his purpose is unclear.
SAPS has dismissed threats from Jacob Zuma's supporters who want to prevent his arrest
Earlier, Briefly News reported that as the time draws closer to the scheduled incarceration of former president Jacob Zuma, either voluntarily or by force, the South African Police Service (SAPS) has disregarded threats by supporters of the former head of state to protect him from being incarcerated.
Responding to multiple threats from supporters to risk their lives in order to prevent the arrest of Zuma, Brigadier Vish Naidoo, the national police spokesperson, issued a statement saying that the arrest will be carried out under the authority that the law provides them.
The situation came as a result of a long, substantial legal battle between Zuma, the Zondo Commission and the Constitutional Court. The escalation accelerated drastically following the apex court's decision to sentence Zuma to 15 months in prison for disobeying its order to testify in front of the Zondo Commission.
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Source: Briefly News
