By Lehlohonolo Lehana.
The Constitutional Court’s long-awaited judgment on former president Jacob Zuma’s defiance of two summons the state capture commission issued is due to take place on Tuesday.
The Constitutional Court said the judgment would be handed down at 10am.
Only a limited number of people, including the media, would be allowed into the courtroom.
“Judgment on Tuesday, 29 June at 10h00: Is former President Jacob Zuma guilty of contempt of court and, if so, what is the appropriate sanction? (Secretary of the Judicial Commission of Inquiry into Allegations of State Capture v JG Zuma and Others). Please note that court attendance at this hand down will be limited to 20 members of the public, including the media,” the court said.
The judgment is a culmination of a court battle between Zuma and the commission which is probing allegations of state capture during his nine-year presidency and the judiciary.
When the commission dashed to court, Zuma issued several statements, saying he had lost trust in the judiciary and had taken a political position not to take part in the matter because the judiciary was engaged in political battles against him.
When the matter was heard on March 25 this year, advocate Tembeka Ngcukayitobi, acting on behalf of the commission, asked the court to hand down a two-year sentence, arguing that Zuma has made serious allegations against the judiciary without any evidence to back up his claims.