The African National Congress (ANC) is not investigating claims by Jacob Zuma that there is a conspiracy against him, the party said on Monday.
Speaking at a press conference to brief the media on a planned vigil to be held outside the Pietermaritzburg High Court on Monday night, KwaZulu-Natal ANC secretary general Senzo Mchunu said he was not ”aware” of any investigation.
”I am on the NEC [national executive committee] and I know of no investigation.”
Mchunu was asked about an investigation into the alleged conspiracy following claims by Zuma in his replying affidavit filed in the Pietermaritzburg High Court.
Zuma claimed that ”there are at present certain investigations which may throw very significant light on the conspiracy issue — obviously I cannot raise these considerations until the facts have been confirmed”.
In his affidavit Zuma gave no other details of the investigations into the conspiracy.
Zuma is expected to appear in court on Tuesday when Judge Herbert Msimang will hear his application to have the former deputy president’s corruption trial thrown out of court.
The state is seeking to have the case postponed to early next year.
Mchunu said the ANC was expecting as many as 10 000 people to converge on Pietermaritzburg in support of Zuma when he appears in court on Tuesday. ”The numbers coming to support him have stabilised. We expect between 8 000 and 10 000 people to show their support like last time.”
He said the number of buses transporting supporters to the Pietermaritzburg city centre had not been finalised.
Mchunu said organisers had been ”very happy” with the way supporters had behaved when Zuma appeared in court on July 31.
He said organisers would be addressing concerns that supporters had not stayed within the demarcated areas as well as the fact that a supporter had carried a banner of which ”we did not approve”.
He did not say what was on the banner.
Supporters would be addressed at 10pm by organisers on the conduct expected of them. He said discussions had been held with police to facilitate security arrangements.
”Everything is in place. We are in the mood of ensuring comrade Jacob Zuma receives support.”
He said several national leaders of the tripartite alliance were expected to turn up to show their support, including Zwelinzima Vavi, the national secretary general of Cosatu.
Cosatu’s KwaZulu-Natal secretary general Zet Luzipho would not be attending proceedings after he was injured in a car crash on Sunday. – Sapa