UDM wants Zuma axed
2005-06-02 13:44
Cape Town - The United Democratic Movement, accepting Judge Hilary Squires' judgment in the Schabir Shaik trial on Thursday, has called for deputy president Jacob Zuma's dismissal.
"South Africa's body politic has been tested to its very core. "The former head of the Scorpions had said earlier that he was doubtful of a winnable case against Zuma despite having a prima facie case," UDM leader Bantu Holomisa said in a statement on Thursday.
"During his judgment Justice Squires has found that there is clear evidence of a corruptor (Mr Shaik) and a corruptee (Mr Zuma).
"I think the time is ripe for the State to charge Mr Zuma now after the evidence has been tested and accepted before a court of law," Holomisa said.
President Thabo Mbeki would then need to decide whether a senior member of the executive could continue to serve while such serious charges were being considered before a court of law.
The experience elsewhere in similar circumstances was that when the balance of probabilities was sufficient, the President should ask Zuma to vacate his office.
Call for decisive leadership
"What is required now is decisive leadership. The president must now prove the commitment he made last week in parliament, where he said that government would no longer tolerate members of the executive who abused their positions for personal gain."
Holomisa added that the verdict threw into question the arms deal.
"Evidence has been accepted that not only did Mr Shaik's brother inform him beforehand of the tendering processes, he even warned him of a potential threat to one of the arms deals in which Schabir Shaik was a beneficiary.
"In turn he phoned Mr Zuma to complain about this potential threat. It is significant that in the end Shaik's company did receive a stake in the arms deal.
"The implication is that it was as a result of Mr Shaik's political connections, and to the detriment of a better tender bid. Under such circumstances we would expect a Judicial Commission of Inquiry into the arms deal," Holomisa said.
- SAPA