By Lehlohonolo Lehana.
Former president Jacob Zuma has penned his first statement since his release from prison.
Zuma criticises the processes that resulted in his imprisonment and highlights the “anomalies” that were clear signs the courts were used to target him.
But Zuma says this is not the end and has vowed to fight for the “liberation of the African child”.
In a statement released by the Jacob Zuma Foundation on Monday evening, the former president lamented the decision,and accused the court of changing its own rules.
“The Constitutional Court in this case somehow found it fitting to deviate from its own rules and it was again another case of the laws and the constitution being bent and manipulated to specifically deal with Zuma,” he said in the statement.
H.E Prez Zuma speaks out. pic.twitter.com/czNBfwIVND
— JGZuma Foundation (Official) (@JGZ_Foundation) September 20, 2021
Taking a jab at the judiciary, he said: “It has never has happened that in a dissenting decision of the Constitutional Court that the dissenting judges go as far as accusing their colleagues of acting unconstitutionally.
“It is a very sad day in our history to observe how those we have entrusted with the constitution now consider themselves above the constitution.
“It is my constitutional right to publicly critique judges the same way they have a right to critique me as a politician.”
He further slams the apex court for opting not to use international law to come to its decision.
“Most astounding of all though, is how the Constitutional Court has for the first time ever stated that it does not have to consider international law as directed by Section 39(1)(b) of the Constitution. It is a very sad day in our history to observe how those we have entrusted with the Constitution now consider themselves above the Constitution.”
In the letter, Zuma thanked his legal team, and his supporters, but made no mention of the civil unrest in July that followed shortly after his arrest.