Johannesburg - The Defend Our Democracy campaign has called on individuals, organisations and political parties to be reasonable, responsible and lawful following former president Jacob Zuma handing himself in at the Estcourt Correctional Centre.
Zuma started serving his 15 months jail sentence for contempt of court at the KwaZulu-Natal facility in the early hours of Thursday morning.
”This moment requires us all to put the interests of our democracy first and uphold the Constitution and rule of law,” the campaign said, following Zuma’s imprisonment.
According to the Defend Our Democracy campaign, legal processes relating to Zuma’s incarceration are still underway and their outcomes must also be respected.
However, the campaign insisted that Zuma’s imprisonment is an important step in affirming the principle that all are equal before the law.
UDM leader Bantu Holomisa said the party will await the Constitutional Court’s decision on Zuma’s application to rescind its ruling jailing him for contempt of court last week.
The apex court is due to hear arguments in the matter on Monday.
Holomisa said for now Zuma seems to be willing to bear some of the consequences of his actions after handing himself to the correctional services department.
”It cannot be denied that during Zuma’s tenure as president, the looting of state resources had become a massive free-for-all with him, seemingly right at the trough. The ANC has in essence normalised institutionalised corruption through the actions of some of its senior leaders,” he said.
Holomisa said Zuma’s arrest should send shivers down the spines of those in Cabinet and the government who have not walked the straight and narrow.
He commended Zuma for doing the right thing by handing himself to prison authorities and not playing theatrics as the deadline for his arrest by police was looming.
loyiso.sidimba@inl.co.za
Political Bureau