ANCYL condemns Zuma raids
2005-08-19 16:22
Johannesburg - The Scorpions' raids on axed deputy president Jacob Zuma's homes were condemned by the African National Congress Youth League on Friday.
"They demonstrate further the persecution of the deputy president," ANCYL president Fikile Mbalula said.
He was addressing the national council general meeting of the SA Students' Congress where he explained the league's point of view on Zuma who is facing corruption charges.
Fikile said the raids did not make sense because the National Prosecuting Authority (NPA) had a few years ago said it already had a strong case against Zuma.
'Normal procedure'
"But now they say it's normal procedure; we are just strengthening in our case."
He said the ANCYL would not apologise about supporting Zuma because he was being presumed guilty before appearing in court to defend himself.
"The deputy president is the first person in the history of the country who will defend himself against a judgment and a verdict already made," he told the meeting in Johannesburg.
Zuma was fired in June after his former financial adviser Schabir Shaik was found guilty on two charges of corruption and one of fraud involving financial dealings with Zuma.
Backlash against judiciary
There has been a backlash against the judiciary since Judge Hilary Squires, who tried Shaik, found there was a "generally corrupt" relationship between Zuma and Shaik, although Zuma was not on trial.
Fikile once again spoke out against Squires judging the trial saying he was "an old apartheid Rhodesian judge".
He said he agreed with the Constitution that nobody was above the law, but the Constitution was also clear that administrators of justice must not trample on the rights of individuals with impunity.
Fikile said in this case, the NPA had trampled on Zuma's rights by declaring it had a prima facie case against Zuma but not enough evidence to successfully prosecute Zuma. It had also consistently leaked information to certain sections of the media.
Fikile wanted to know why the NPA had not pursued other criminals with the same resources and vigour it was spending on Zuma.
He mentioned apartheid chemical warfare expert Wouter Basson and Mark Thatcher who paid a fine in South Africa after admitting to financing a plot to overthrow the Equatorial Guinea government.
'NPA let Thatcher loose'
"They (the NPA) let him (Thatcher) loose. A criminal is now basking in the sun. They even defended their decision saying they will release him because he is going to give us more information.
"My question today is what is happening to that case?" Fikile asked, to loud applause.
A few delegates at the meeting wore wearing pro-Zuma T-shirts with the words "innocent until proven guilty".
Before Fikile addressed them they sang "we don't want a capitalist agenda that killed Zuma".
The Congress of the SA Trade Unions believes Zuma is being politically targeted because the capitalist elements of society want to impose a succession plan on the democratic movement.
- SAPA