Call growing for Zuma to quit

2005-06-02 22:53

Jan-Jan Joubert and Adriaan Basson

Durban - Deputy president Jacob Zuma must resign and be charged with corruption.

On Thursday, this was the growing call from many sectors after Durban High Court found he had had a corrupt relationship with his financial advisor, Schabir Shaik, and agreed to bribery.

After a marathon hearing of nearly eight months, Shaik was found guilty by Judge Hilary Squires on all three charges against him - two of corruption and one of fraud.

Shaik's family paid his increased bail of R100 000, and arguments in aggravation or mitigation of sentence were due to start on Friday.

Although Zuma has not been charged, the Corruption Act states that both the briber and the one who accepts the bribe are equally guilty - and even agreement to bribery is in contravention of the law.

Two years ago, the national prosecuting authority (NPA) decided not to charge Zuma.

Ball now in Vusi Pikoli's hands

The deputy president's guilt or innocence, therefore, was not at issue in the Shaik court case, except in as far as it was interwoven with the Durban businessman.

A decision as to whether he will now be prosecuted rests with advocate Vusi Pikoli, the national director of public prosecutions.

Pikoli is known as someone with an unshakeable belief that the law must be applied, irrespective of the person.

Informed sources said Pikoli could take up to two weeks to decide his course of action.

On Thursday, Zuma was on an official visit to Zambia... His spokespeople said he would study the judgment before reacting.

While opposition parties, corruption monitors and political analysts called on Thursday for Zuma's resignation and that a criminal charge should be brought against him, the government reacted cautiously.

In view of the battle against corruption, it welcomed the outcome of the case and gave no indication whether it would come to Zuma's rescue.

Speculation about Mbeki intervention

The African National Congress, on the other hand, cautiously showed respect for the judgment, while Zuma's supporters in Cosatu and the SA Communist Party Youth League were standing by him.

On Thursday night, political circles speculated that President Thabo Mbeki may intervene, but his spokesperson had not been available to comment.

In terms of the constitution, only Mbeki has the power to replace Zuma.

Meanwhile, Mandy Rossouw and Liezel de Lange report that Pierre de Vos, professor in constitutional law with the University of the Western Cape said in Cape Town that now that Shaik had been found guilty of corruption, it would be easier for the national prosecuting authority to prosecute deputy president Jacob Zuma.

According to De Vos, the situation has changed since Bulelani Ngcuka, head of the prosecuting authority, said two years ago there was prima facie evidence to prosecute Zuma, but that the case could not be won.

What was regarded then as a contradictory statement, could now be seen in a different light, said De Vos.

- Beeld