It was not clear why the state wanted to have Jacob Zuma’s trial postponed, African National Congress KwaZulu-Natal deputy chairperson Zweli Mkhize told Zuma’s supporters outside the Pietermaritzburg High Court on Tuesday.
Briefing supporters on proceedings, Mkhize said there had been argument between Judge Herbert Msimang and state prosecutor Wim Trengove over the rights of the accused.
“Trengove is trying to state that a postponement won’t result in an unfair trial,” he told the crowd of about 6Â 000 people.
Mkhize said the judge did not agree with the prosecutor on the issues raised by the state.
Before the court adjourned for tea, Trengove had argued that the state needed the postponement to allow for further investigation.
Zuma is accused of having accepted a R500Â 000-a-year bribe from French arms subsidiary Thint in exchange for protection in a probe into South Africa’s massive arms deal.
Mkhize thanked the crowd for their behaviour and promised to keep them updated.
Zuma faces a jail sentence of 10 years or more if found guilty. An acquittal could restore him as frontrunner to succeed Thabo Mbeki as South African president in 2009. The 64-year-old Zulu politician was sacked by Mbeki last year over allegations he was linked to an arms procurement scandal.
Zuma and his supporters fear a delayed trial could hurt his chances of succeeding Mbeki.
Congress of South African Trade Unions (Cosatu) KwaZulu-Natal chairperson Sdumo Dlamini said Zuma would address his supporters at the end of the proceedings.
Supporters and spectators at the trial included Cosatu general secretary Zwelinzima Vavi, KwaZulu-Natal premier S’bu Ndebele, South African Communist Party general secretary Blade Nzimande and KwaZulu-Natal health minister Peggy Nkonyeni, popular club DJ Siyanda and Zuma regular “Ma Mkhize” with her traditional herbs.
KwaZulu-Natal security minister Bheki Cele earlier chided some supporters who began singing a song critical of President Thabo Mbeki.
After Cele spoke to them they immediately stopped singing “Thabo Mbeki uyimenemene [Thabo Mbeki you are a hypocrite]”. They also stopped showing a banner saying “Mbeki is guilty”.
Anti-Mbeki songs have been sung at Zuma’s previous court appearances with a T-shirt bearing his image also being burnt.
Trial comes to Sleepy Hollow
Businesses was brisk in the usually sleepy town. The manager of Café Bavaria — the closest coffee shop to the court — didn’t even have time to speak to the Mail & Guardian Online over the phone. “We are very busy and I have people looking at me waiting to be served”, said the manager, who did not want to be identified.
Minori Pillay, an employee at Mason Incorporated, which is situated about 500m from the court, said the experience of going to work on Tuesday morning was “not nice”.
“The traffic was so heavy because they closed off Church Street. The last time this happened I got to work 20 minutes late. Some of the girls sat in traffic for half an hour,” she said.
A comment on the Friends of Jacob Zuma website from a supporter by the name of Noxolo, reads: “Baba, please be strong today. I’m sorry I can’t be there with you but I promise I will be praying for you and our lawyers the whole day. My friends, my comrades, please be strong for Baba and those who are in PMB, show him how much we love him. My heart bleeds that our hero has to go through all this. One day justice will come, JZ will rule.”
Nhlakanipho Ntombela, the provincial chairperson of the ANC Youth League, said there were about 8Â 000 supporters at the court from different organisations.
“People are energetic and they are coming in their numbers to showcase their support. They’re toyi-toying but otherwise everything is normal and has been very disciplined,” he said.
“Lots of reporters are staying at the hotel,” said Yashika Pillay, front-office supervisor at the City Royal Hotel, a few streets down from the Pietermaritzburg High Court on Church Street. “We are full, but mostly it’s like normal,” she added.
According to Errard Sullivan, general manager of the nearby Protea Imperial hotel, it was “not affected by it [the trial] whatsoever”.
But he added that there were traffic delays caused by road closures on streets surrounding the court.
“Traffic was diverted down this road away from the court,” said Pillay, “and it has been extremely busy.”
John Morrison, manager of the Msunduzi Municipal Library on Church Street, said the library was told not to open to the public, because the surrounding streets were blocked off to traffic. “It’s been quiet here, there is no tension or problems,” Morrison said, “it’s so quiet I don’t even notice it.”
“I’m not saying there aren’t people, there are people, but it’s more festive,” Morrison said.
“There is music playing, they are selling things like ANC and Zuma T-shirts, Kaizer Chiefs caps,” he said.
Police spokesperson Superintendent Muzi Mngonezunu said Zuma’s supporters were behaving “really well so far”.
Mngonezunu added that they have enough manpower to cover the area, with surveillance cameras and police officers deployed at almost every corner. “So far there are around 3Â 000 to 4Â 000 people outside the court already.”