MKMVA corrects the misconceived criticism expressed by Nadel
18 March 2018
The Umkhonto we Sizwe Military Veterans Association(MKMVA) has noted the criticism that has been levelled at us by the President of the National Association of Democratic Lawyers (NADEL), Mr. Mvuso Notyesi, to the effect that MKMVA is 'mischievous' and 'disingenuous' to have raised our concern about the impact that the avalanche of vociferously negative personal and political attacks over many years on former President Zuma, could have on him getting a fair trial.
Mr. Notyesi casted this sincere concern of MKMVA as an attack on the judiciary, which it was not at all. No-one who read the MKMVA statement properly can possibly come to such a conclusion.
For the sake of clarity the relevant paragraph is quoted here in full again:
"Without expressing any doubt in the competence of our country’s judicial system MKMVA will, however, be amiss not to raise our serious and well considered concern whether it will be possible for Comrade Jacob Zuma to receive a fair and unbiased trial in the context of the decades long and vicious personal and politically motivated attacks that have been launched against him in public and by the mainstream media. This must be a matter of genuine concern because there can be no doubt that every South African citizen - including all our judges - have been bombarded and influenced by the avalanche of negative publicity, character assassination and kangaroo courts that have been conducted against Comrade Zuma. Professional and fair as our justice system strives to be, the judiciary cannot escape this harsh reality and will have to face it head-on."