Cape Town — Former President, Jacob Zuma, is threatening Chief Justice, Raymond Zondo, with legal action after the Constitutional Court recently turned down his private prosecution appeal.
Zuma was dealt a blow when the court unanimously dismissed his private prosecution bid against state prosecutor advocate, Billy Downer, and investigative journalist, Karyn Maughan, The Citizen reported.
Zuma’s prosecution of Downer and Maughan was postponed to 9 April 2024. Zuma is charging Downer and Maughan with what he’s deemed unlawful leaking of his confidential doctor’s letter.
The ConCourt order means Zuma could not pursue his prosecution bid against the duo after the Supreme Court of Appeal’s (SCA) scathing assessment of Zuma’s “hopeless” private prosecution to be a strategy to avoid hos own corruption trial.
In a letter to the court, Zuma wants Zondo to clarify whether retired Judge Zak Yacoob played a role in helping the apex court, and to what extent he helped.
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“In making the appointments, were you aware of the controversial political statements and general insults previously uttered by retired judge Yacoob which do not befit any person involved in the fair and impartial adjudication of disputes?”
“If so, what considerations induced you to nevertheless appoint him over and above other retired justices of the Constitutional Court with no such disqualifying blemishes,” he asked in the letter.
Zuma threatened Zondo with legal action and laying a complaint of misconduct with the Judicial Services Commission (JSC) if Zondo does not give him any information by 10am on 6 March.
“Your conduct is at best similar and at worst, far more serious than that for which the National Assembly recently voted for the removal of Judge President Mandlakayise Hlophe namely alleged undue interference in the judicial decisions of duly appointed members of the judiciary by a person who is not a member of the relevant court. At face value such conduct, if established, amounts to an impeachable offence on your part,” he wrote.
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Compiled by Matthew Petersen
