On Friday, former president Jacob Zuma lost in his bid to have the Constitutional Court’s arrest order interdicted by the Pietermaritzburg High Court.
Pietermaritzburg High Court throws out Zuma application
Judge Bhekisisa Mnguni left out the meat of his decision in the virtual ruling he handed down on Friday morning, moments after suspended ANC SG Ace Magashule suffered a loss in his attempt to overrule Ramaphosa’s authority as leader of the ruling party.
The judge simply indicated that the Pietermaritzburg High Court had no jurisdiction to overturn a judgment handed down by the highest court on the land.
Therefore, at least pending the outcome of the apex court’s review of next week’s rescission hearing, Zuma will remain in prison to serve out his 15-month sentence that, according to Justice Minister Ronald Lamola, could be reduced to just three months.
Tensions break out in KZN shutdown
Currently, the former president is serving his time at the Estcourt Correctional Services facility, under unfavourable conditions according to News24.
Confined behind bars, Zuma continues to enjoy a great level of influence in the political environment. Already, parts of KwaZulu-Natal (KZN) have been sieged by pro-Zuma supporters who are holding ‘shutdown’ demonstrations in places like KwaDukuza, Empangeni and Durban central.
Public order police have been deployed to hotspot areas to control the violence that’s broken out in certain regions of the province and at the time this article was published, the KZN shutdown was only starting to gather steam.
It’s also reported that prisoners at Estcourt have gone on a hunger strike in protest against Zuma’s conviction.
Prisoners on hunger strike in Escourt Correctional Centre. They wont eat until Zuma is out.
— SA belongs to the West (@WaazaniaR) July 9, 2021
Zuma is safer in the hands of prisoners than in the hands of his comrades.
Shame on you ANC