It is too late for Judge Hilary Squires to distance himself from the ”generally corrupt” phrase as former deputy president Jacob Zuma’s name is already ruined, the African National Congress Youth League (ANCYL) said on Tuesday.
”Hilary is not assisting anyone with distancing himself from the phrase ‘generally corrupt’, he’s basically deepening the legal crisis,” said president Fikile Mbalula at a press conference in Johannesburg.
”He’s not the Messiah. Neither is he a holy cow. He served Rhodesia with distinction and served apartheid with distinction. We owe him no apology.”
Squires wrote a letter to the Weekender newspaper in which he denied ever using the phrase ”generally corrupt” when describing the relationship between convicted businessman Schabir Shaik and former deputy president Zuma. The Supreme Court of Appeal dismissed Shaik’s appeal against his fraud and corruption convictions.
The SCA came under fire on Monday for having attributed the phrase ”generally corrupt relationship” to Squires, with Cosatu demanding the resignation of the appeal court judges.
Cosatu also insisted on Zuma’s re-instatement as deputy president, saying his dismissal from this post was justified on the basis of the remarks wrongly attributed to Squires.
”It is a matter of fact that Jacob Zuma had not appeared in court at the time Judge Squires issued his verdict against Schabir Shaik and therefore could have never been found guilty in absentia,” read an ANCYL statement.
”This Jacob Zuma episode has turned out to be a film, a soap opera”.
”Zuma has been looted and canabalised,” said Mbalula
He said the ANCYL was calling for an ”urgent intervention” as Squires’s dissatisfaction with the use of the phrase had created ”incalculable” doubts about the independence of the judiciary and has put its reputation under serious scrutiny.
League spokesperson Zizi Kodwa told the Mail & Guardian Online that ”judges are human” and suggested that they should be above reproach and not active in politics.
He also said it was unfortunate that the media had lacked objectivity when reporting on the matter. – Sapa