A pastoral delegation from the South African Council of Churches (SACC) met Deputy President Jacob Zuma in Midrand on Monday evening to discuss the implications of his financial adviser being found guilty of fraud and corruption.
”Because of what has been in the public and the media in the last few days, we needed time to talk … We just felt we needed to touch base with him [Zuma] and see if there is anything that he feels he needs to share with the people in a comfortable environment.
”We think he [Zuma] has gained strength to continue with the matters around this issue,” said SACC general secretary Molefe Tsele.
Tsele said the meeting gave members of the delegation an opportunity to gain insight from the deputy president about the broader issues related to the judgement so that they may advise the leaders of the SACC’s 26 member denominations on appropriate responses to the situation.
”It gave him [Zuma] time to open up and share with us how he interprets this events of the last few days and he’s very confident of our democracy.”
Tsele said the delegation demonstrated the churches’ concern for the deputy president by providing a ministry of accompaniment as he deliberates on the implications of the Durban High Court’s judgement in the Schabir Shaik corruption trial.
The delegation comprised senior clerics including Tsele, Bishop Ivan Abrahams, presiding Bishop of the Methodist Church in Southern Africa, and the Right Reverend Jo Seoka, Anglican bishop of Pretoria.
Last week Judge Hilary Squires, who found Durban businessman Shaik guilty of two charges of corruption and one of fraud, also found that the relationship between Zuma and Shaik was ”generally corrupt”.
Meanwhile, sentencing proceedings will continue in Shaik’s trial in the Durban High Court on Tuesday.
On Friday the prosecution called a senior researcher from the Institute of Security Studies to testify about the extent and effects of corruption in society, in aggravation of sentence.
On Tuesday, Shaik’s advocate Francois van Zyl, SC, may call a witness in mitigation of sentence.
Vavi wants answers
Zwelinzima Vavi, general secretary of the Congress of South African Trade Unions (Cosatu), told John Perlman of SAFM radio on Tuesday morning that Zuma should be given an opportunity to tell his side of the story.
Vavi said this should take place through an ”independent process”.
He complained that the [court] case had involved someone else and ”in the process” Zuma had been found guilty. He said that the trial had been an attempt to sideline Zuma politically.
Media threatened with arrest
On Monday, media hoping to interview Zuma were threatened with arrest outside the African National Congress headquarters in central Johannesburg.
Johannesburg metro police officers told reporters, photographers and cameramen that if they crossed a tape barricade, they would be arrested.
Reporters trying to find out why the barricade running along the pavement across the road from the building had been put up were told not to cross the road.
However, passers-by could move freely and hawkers did business as usual.
Metro police officers told reporters their superiors had instructed them to put up the barricade, but would not comment further.
Their spokesperson, Wayne Minnaar, could not be reached for comment.
Mbeki to wade into the debate
In other developments, President Thabo Mbeki will tell the public what his plans are for Zuma when he returns from a state visit to Chile, the government said on Monday.
”The president has indicated that as soon as practicable after his return from the state visit to Chile, he will communicate to the public any decisions that he will have taken on the matter,” government communications chief Joel Netshitenzhe said.
He said Zuma had been informed accordingly.
He confirmed that Mbeki had received a copy of the court judgement.
Netshitenzhe said Mbeki was studying the judgement to form a comprehensive view on its legal and political implications for the government.
”Further, the president is awaiting the completion of the legal process in the Durban case before determining the course of action to follow,” he said.
”In the meantime, President Thabo Mbeki wishes to reiterate the position of government that we accept the outcome of the trial, recognising that there may be an appeal to higher courts.
”The president and government do not only respect the rule of law, but we are fully cognizant of the constitutional obligation on the part of the president to act as the custodian of this principle.”
Both Mbeki and Zuma attended a weekly African National Congress national working committee meeting at the ANC’s headquarters in Johannesburg on Monday.
ANC spokesperson Smuts Ngonyama told reporters outside the building
the party would not brief the media until it had completed studying
the judgment.
However the ANC in KwaZulu-Natal and its alliance partners expressed their ”unqualified confidence” in Zuma.
ANC provincial spokesman Mtholephi Mthimkhulu said: ”He is one of the most tested and dedicated cadres of the liberation movement who spent most of his life in the struggle for freedom. His unquestioned credentials led to his unanimous election as the ANC deputy president …”
Earlier on Monday, Zuma’s spokesperson Lakela Kaunda said: ”The deputy president is fine. We are going to have a normal working day today [Monday].”
Kaunda said there was not really anything new about the furore about the ties between Zuma and Shaik.
”This has now been going on for four years.” – Sapa