The South African Congress of Trade Unions (Cosatu) has admitted it cannot ”produce conclusive proof of a conspiracy” within the National Prosecuting Authority (NPA) against former deputy president Jacob Zuma.
On Tuesday Cosatu’s national spokesperson Patrick Craven said: ”The kind of proof that would have names dates, places [of meetings] … that’s what we can’t produce. But the evidence is all there.”
On Monday Craven released a statement responding to a strongly worded letter sent by the Department of Justice and Constitutional Development Director General, Vusi Pikoli, last Friday that challenged Cosatu to prove that the NPA was involved in a political conspiracy in a court of law.
”It is never possible to produce conclusive proof of a conspiracy, which by its very nature is clandestine. There is, however, clear evidence that the NPA has behaved improperly and has been motivated by a political agenda to discredit Jacob Zuma, rather than a desire to prosecute a legal case of alleged corruption,” Craven said in the statement.
Pikoli sent the strongly worded letter to Cosatu after the KwaZulu-Natal branch of Cosatu accused the NPA last month of having a political agenda to discredit Zuma and prevent him from becoming president of both the African National Congress and the country.
”Cosatu has no reason to revise its view that there was indeed active collaboration between the NPA and some in the media, with the view of launching a media trial that would tarnish Jacob Zuma’s image and damage his credibility and standing, as part of a systematic and well-orchestrated campaign to end his political career.”
Craven questioned why the NPA ”sought to systematically run a media trial instead of pursuing whatever allegations were made in the courts of law, so that Jacob Zuma would be provided an opportunity to answer to the allegations in court”.
The Cosatu statement referred to ”off-the-record” briefings by Pikoli’s predecessor Bulelani Ngcuka as well as Ngcuka’s allegation that there was a ”prima facie” case against Zuma even though there was not enough evidence to prosecute him.
In his letter to the organisation, Pikoli stated: ”If Cosatu is serious about its allegations of a conspiracy within the [NPA] against Mr Zuma, and if Cosatu has the necessary evidence to substantiate these allegations, I also wish to challenge Cosatu to make use of its constitutional right to dispute any of my decisions relating to Mr Zuma in a court of law.
”If Cosatu is not prepared to accept this challenge, then Cosatu must refrain from making further unsubstantiated allegations.”
Cosatu reiterated its call to President Thabo Mbeki to reconsider his decision to axe Zuma from his post and urged the withdrawal of all charges against him.
Zuma is due back in court on September 5 as the state seeks to postpone the case until next February.
On Monday evening the state filed about 500 pages of papers in the Pietermaritzburg High Court in response to submissions by Zuma in his corruption trial.
Zuma and French arms company Thint are facing charges relating to allegations of bribes over the arms deal involving the weapons suite on four frigates built in Germany, two of which have already been commissioned by the South African Navy. — Sapa