Cosatu: Be fair to Zuma
2005-06-02 16:33
Johannesburg - Although deputy president Jacob Zuma has been implicated in some of the charges on which Durban businessman Schabir Shaik was found guilty, it can't be assumed that Zuma is guilty, Cosatu says.
"He (Zuma) has not been on trial nor charged or convicted of any offence, the trade union congress said on Thursday.
"So we cannot assume that anyone is guilty before he or she has been given a chance to defend him or herself," Cosatu spokesperson Patrick Craven told Sapa.
He said Cosatu was waiting to see if any of the parties would appeal the conviction and would study the judgment in detail.
It would also hold consultations with its affiliations and perhaps issue a fuller statement on the matter after these meetings.
Many of Cosatu's affiliates have openly backed Zuma to succeed President Thabo Mbeki as the next leader of South Africa.
Shaik was found guilty earlier in the day on two charges of corruption and one of fraud relating to financial dealings with Zuma.
- SAPA