MEDIA STATEMENT OF MKMVA ON THE REINSTATEMENT OF CHARGES AGAINST COMRADE JACOB ZUMA

Date: Saturday, 17 March 2018

The Umkhonto we Sizwe Military Veterans Association (MKMVA) noted the decision of the National Director of Public Prosecutions, Advocate Shaun Abrahams, to reinstate charges of corruption against Comrade Jacob Gedleyihlekisa Zuma, our former President of the ANC and of the Republic of South Africa.

MKMVA concurs with the media statement that our Mother body, the African National Congress (ANC), issued affirming confidence in our country’s criminal justice system and our respect for the independence of the judiciary. We also concur with the ANC in affirming our commitment to the constitutionally enshrined principle of equality of all before the law.

In doing so we strongly assert the absolutely inalienable right of all in our country, including Comrade Jacob Zuma, to be presumed innocent until and if proven guilty.

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 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.

In this context we could not but noticed with disgust the infantile behaviour of the leader of the Democratic Alliance (DA), Mr. Musi Maimane, who was yesterday clowning with popping champagne bottles outside the offices of the National Prosecuting Authority (NPA), toasting his and his party's utter disdain for any sober and fair legal process. The Democratic Alliance, and all others who are behaving similarly, should be ashamed of themselves for having become nothing else but a frenzied lynch mob.

MKMVA calls on all South Africans to reject such behaviour with the disdain that it deserves. We reiterate the call of the ANC on all South Africans at large to afford the NPA space to conduct its work unhindered.

MKMVA reiterates the huge respect that we have for Comrade Jacob Zuma for the great contribution that he made to the liberation of our beloved country as one of the best – and most successful - Commanders of Umkhontho we Sizwe (MK). It goes without saying that Comrade Zuma remains a full and greatly respected member of MKMVA.

As toughened liberation fighters, with our loyalty forged on the battlefield, we know what true comradeship means. There may be others who turn out to be opportunists and fair weather friends - but we in MKMVA will certainly not be counted among them.

True comradeship and friendship is tested not during good times, but in the midst of the storm. Similarly Comrade Jacob Zuma can be assured of our comradeship and support in these challenging times.

Statement issued by Carl Niehaus, NEC Member of MKMVA and National Spokesperson, 17 March 2018