Edward Zuma Stresses ‘Dad’s Not Going Inside’ As Jacob Zuma Arrest Looms
- The son of former president Jacob Zuma, Edward Zuma, has told authorities that the jail cell intended for his father should be given to someone else
- Edward Zuma made the declaration while speaking to the media as reports swirl of the former president's arrest which is reportedly set to be carried out by midnight tonight
- Minister of Police Bheki Cele and the National Police Commissioner Khehla Sitole have been directed to carry out the said arrest in line with a Constitutional Court order permitting them to do so
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Edward Zuma, the son of former president Jacob Zuma, has made a bold proposal to authorities after reportedly telling them to give the cell intended for his father to someone else.
Edward has been a vocal part of the cog opposing Zuma's arrest, previously declaring that he would have to be killed before his 79-year-old father is arrested.
Source: UGC
The 44-year-old has once again stressed that there would be bloodshed should there be any attempt to arrest the former president. In an interview with the media outside Zuma's Nkandla home in the uThungulu district of KZN on Wednesday, Edward was quoted saying:
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“As the local people, as Edward Zuma, we will be stopping anybody who will want to incarcerate Jacob Zuma," he proclaimed.
"That particular cell that is reserved for him for tonight, they might as well give it to another prisoner because, as the Zuma clan, we are not going to allow that. They will have to shed blood for that because we are going to be defending him with our lives."
Briefly News reported recently that there have been no official reports of special forces teams mandated to descend on Zuma's homestead, despite a video suggesting this that has been making the rounds online.
The former statesman's arrest is said will be carried out by Minister of Police Bheki Cele, who along with the National Police Commissioner, Khehla Sitole, has been charged with the job of arresting Zuma in line with a Constitutional Court order after Zuma failed to hand himself over to police.
Last-minute ducks and dives not enough to dissuade Zuma arrest
Instead, he opted for a last-ditch rescission application to stay his arrest and – after the ConCourt agreed to convene to hear the application on Monday, 12 July – to have his 15-months conviction overturned.
In the wake of various legal challenges since his conviction and sentencing, Cele and Sitole earlier this week wrote to the Constitutional Court, saying they would not take action to arrest Zuma until given clarity from the apex court to do so, according to a TimeLIVE report.
By Wednesday evening, there was no confirmation from the Police Ministry that such clarity had been provided or if police had received a response. The spokesperson for the Ministry, Lirandzu Themba earlier said Cele would not be in Nkandla on Wednesday.
With the attention now squarely on Nkandla, Edward reaffirmed that his clan would not allow his father to agree to be arrested.
“We will not allow him to even agree to such a nonsensical decision that was taken by toxic people," he said.
‘Special Forces’ on their way to Nkandla causes ruckus on social media
A video has surfaced on social media of a law enforcement group that is armed to the teeth disembarking from police helicopters.
The social media user who posted the video, @kulanicool, cited that the group are a South African specialised force team making its way to Nkandla. The user captioned the video:
"Are they going to Nkandla?"
Briefly News reported that the anticipation has been building as news reports doing the rounds on Wednesday continued to purport that Zuma's arrest would be carried out by midnight on Wednesday.
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Source: Briefly News
