Jacob Zuma attacks 'apartheid-style judiciary'

In an astonishing attack on the judiciary just weeks ahead of the start of his long-awaited corruption trial, former President Jacob Zuma has compared the judiciary today to that of the apartheid regime, notes Legalbrief. According to a TimesLIVE report, he said the attitude of the judges towards him in the democratic dispensation was the ‘same’ as that of the apartheid judiciary when he was a freedom fighter. Without offering any proof to back his claim, Zuma said there were judges who had declared that he would never win a case in any court matter they preside over. The former President made these claims in the final episode of season one of the Zooming with Zumas show aired on video-streaming platform YouTube.

Zuma is due to appear in court on 23 June when he will face charges of corruption, fraud and money laundering, among others, notes TimesLIVE. ‘Having fought for freedom, democracy and justice, I feel justice at the moment in our country is a problem,’ said Zuma. ‘It is very scary today that as I face justice I have a feeling, which I think is correct, that there are certain courts when I appear (before them), or my matter appears, the attitude is the same as it was when I was a freedom fighter during apartheid time. Now as a free man during the democratic time, it is almost always a given in the country that if you went to certain courts, Jacob Zuma cannot win a case.’ He added: ‘Some people in the judiciary have unfortunately pronounced that Zuma will never win a case in my court. It is a sad thing that in a free country that you fought for, you must feel you are in the same situation as it were during apartheid.’ Zuma said he had elected to cease his appeals and go to trial to shake off the corruption allegations against him. When the corruption trial is in session, he threatened, there may be casualties. ‘Perhaps my going to court might show other people who did other things,’ he said.

– TimesLIVE