- Police Minister Bheki Cele has met with former president Jacob Zuma at his Nkandla home.
- Details on the purpose of the meeting are still sketchy but it wasn't to deliver an arrest warrant.
- There have been efforts to persuade Zuma to testify at the state capture inquiry.
Police Minister Bheki Cele has met with former president Jacob Zuma at his Nkandla home on Thursday morning, but details on the purpose of the meeting will remain a secret until the ANC's leadership had been briefed.
Zuma's daughter, Duduzile Zuma-Sambudla tweeted that there was no tea but that there was an undertaking that Cele himself would fetch Zuma should an arrest warrant against him be issued.
No #NkandlaTea was served but great conversations and laughs were shared amongst Comrades, one of them being, should an arrest warrant be issued, it is the Minster that would come and fetch @PresJGZuma ?? pic.twitter.com/ddFuAoC2TN
— Dudu Zuma-Sambudla (@DZumaSambudla) February 18, 2021
Cele's spokesperson, Lirandzu Themba, said Cele had concluded his visit with Zuma "and will update ANC leadership on his visit first before he engages the media. There's no date as to when he will be meeting [the] ANC."
Cele's car was briefly prevented from entering the gate by a small group of men in military-style camouflage, but he was allowed through in time for their meeting, which started at 11:00 and lasted about three hours.
Police minister Bheki Cele is visiting former president Jacob Zuma in Nkandla this morning. His vehicles have been stopped from entering. Further details on #eNCA pic.twitter.com/2QtEii1N6K
— Dasen Thathiah (@DasenThathiah) February 18, 2021
Themba said the minister himself would speak on the issues discussed, but she denied he would be delivering a warrant of arrest.
On Monday, Deputy Chief Justice Raymond Zondo approached the Constitutional Court in a bid to find Zuma in contempt of court and to request a jail sentence.
WATCH | State capture commission to ask ConCourt to jail Zuma if he is found in contempt of court
Zuma defied a court order to appear at Justice Zondo's state capture inquiry on Monday to give evidence on the corruption that took place in government while he was president.
He argued that Justice Zondo has a conflict of interest because he had a child with the sister of one of Zuma's wives about a decade before their marriage.
There has been an effort, mainly within the ANC, to convince Zuma to appear before the commission to give evidence. The ANC's national executive committee has asked party members to cooperate with the commission of inquiry.
