A judicial panel in South Africa has ordered former President Jacob Zuma to testify next month over allegations of state corruption during his nine-year rule, forcing the embattled politician to appear in court despite his plea that the judge was biased against him.
The subpoena came weeks after the scandal-tainted former president hit out at the commission chairman, requesting that he recuse himself as he was partisan.
Zuma, who became president in 2009, was forced to resign in February 2018 over graft scandals centred around an Indian business family, the Guptas, who won lucrative contracts with state companies and were allegedly even able to choose cabinet ministers.
Chaired by deputy chief justice Raymond Zondo, the commission was set up in 2018 to hear testimony from ministers, ex-ministers, government officials, and business executives on alleged corruption under Zuma’s tenure.
So far at least thirty-four witnesses have directly and indirectly implicated Zuma, according to the commission’s advocate Paul Pretorius.
“It is important for Mr. Zuma to appear before the commission as most of the corruption alleged took place when he was the country’s president,” Pretorius said.
Zuma has repeatedly refused to testify to the commission, most recently last month when he claimed he was too ill and has also cited preparation for his upcoming corruption trial as a reason for why he could not attend the proceedings.
But Zondo on Friday ordered the secretary of the commission to issue a summons requiring Zuma to appear before the court from November 16 to 20.
“I am giving him an opportunity to come here and clear his name,” Zondo said, adding that failure to comply was tantamount to “a criminal offence” as the commission’s statutory powers are equivalent to that of a high court.
Meanwhile, dozens of Zuma supporters wearing military uniforms and T-shirts with Zuma’s portrait chanted “Leave Zuma alone” as they picketed outside the commission’s offices in Johannesburg. They called on Zondo to recuse himself, accusing him of being anti-Zuma.
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