The ANC has distanced itself from attacks on the judiciary by former president Jacob Zuma and has called on its members to respect the courts and uphold the rule of law.
The party has further criticised attempts by the former president’s supporters to prevent law enforcement authorities from arresting Zuma to begin his 15-month jail term in line with the Constitutional Court ruling handed down a week ago.
After the court found him guilty in June of contempt of court for failing to adhere to a court order to appear before the commission of inquiry into state capture, Zuma launched a scathing attack on the court and the judgment, labelling it “judicially emotional and angry”.
Thousands of Zuma supporters descended on his Nkandla homestead after the handing down of the judgment, vowing to support him.
To quell the worsening security and health situation in Nkandla after the judgment, the ANC postponed its national executive committee (NEC) meeting that was to be held at the weekend and deployed its senior members to the area.
On Monday the NEC convened a special meeting to discuss the Zuma matter and resolved that party members who took part in the demonstrations outside Zuma’s home face disciplinary action.
Suspended secretary-general Ace Magashule, who also publicly showed his support for Zuma at Nkandla, in contravention of his suspension, will be required to explain his actions before the party’s leadership.
Speaking at a media briefing on Tuesday, ANC deputy secretary-general Jessie Duarte said “the interests of an individual cannot take precedence over or jeopardise the interests of our democracy or of the nation”.
“Any attempt to respond to legal and judicial matters through threats and acts of violence, from any quarter, is abhorrent and should not and will not be tolerated,” Duarte said.
The party also lambasted the “calls for violence and even civil war, parading of armed groups, flagrant display [of] weapons and firing of guns, as well as the activities particularly of individuals operating under the banner of the Umkhonto we Sizwe Military Veterans Association,” outside Nkandla in contravention of Covid-19 regulations.
Duarte said Zuma, as an ex officio member of the NEC, has not been asked to step aside by the party. The ANC leadership has not met the former president to discuss the court ruling but has established a team of NEC members and a KwaZulu-Natal provincial executive committee to have continuing talks with him.
“Zuma is an elder … there is no reason for us to not continue to engage with him,” she said.
The former president was ordered to hand himself over to police by Sunday, failing which the police minister would have to ensure his arrest by Wednesday.
Zuma defied the court ruling and launched two legal applications, one in the high court Pietermaritzburg (which was heard on Tuesday) to interdict his arrest and another in the apex court to have the judgment rescinded. This will be heard on July 12.
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