Zuma deal 'not an option'
2008-09-08 14:07
Cape Town - Reports that African National Congress president Jacob Zuma's legal team intends to make a presentation to the National Prosecution Authority suggests that he is guilty of corruption, Democratic Alliance leader Helen Zille said on Monday.
"If Jacob Zuma is not guilty of corruption, then why is he unwilling to answer the charges against him in a court of law?" she asked.
Zuma would not have wanted to negotiate with the NPA if he knew that he was innocent, she said.
Instead, he would have demanded his day in court and avoided creating a perception that he escaped justice "as a result of a back-room deal with the NPA".
In any case, it would be unwise for the NPA to enter in any deal with Zuma as that would seriously comprise its integrity.
"Any special deal for Zuma would destroy, at a stroke, the reputation of the NPA, as well as a key principle underpinning our Constitution - that all are equal before the law," Zille said.
It was important for the NPA to use the Zuma case to demonstrate that it was independent and unlikely to bow to political pressure.
"It is an opportunity to show that the institutions designed to limit the ruling party's power can operate without fear or favour.
"In doing so, the NPA will give everyone hope that we have a robust constitutional democracy and that there is no chance of going down the banana republic path of Zimbabwe," Zille said.
- SAPA