Former president Jacob Zuma has refused to file a responding affidavit to Chief Justice Mogoeng Mogoeng about what sentence he should be given for being in contempt of court.
Zuma had, on Wednesday, been expected to respond to the Constitutional Court on how he should be sentenced if he was found guilty of contempt of court.
According to BBC, the penalty related to his ignoring of summons to appear before the Commission of Inquiry into State Capture chaired by Justice Raymond Zondo.
Zuma was ordered to appear before the commission in January, but he refused.
Stamp the authority
Last year, the former president also failed to submit affidavits to appear before the state capture commission, and he walked out before he was excused.
In March, the commission, in a move to stamp the authority of the country’s highest court and to show the seriousness of Zuma’s actions, moved to ask the court to sentence him for two years.
A report by EWN said Chief Justice Mogoeng Mogoeng wrote to Zuma last week, giving him until Wednesday, 14 April to propose an appropriate sentence in no more than 15 pages.
In his 21 page response to Mogoeng on Wednesday, Zuma said he was not guilty of any crime, adding that he would not tell Mogoeng how to sentence him if he was found guilty.
“Your directive, Chief Justice provides that I must answer the question in a 15-page affidavit within three days.
‘My conscientious objection’
“Regrettably, if I accede to your request, I purge my conscientious objection for having not participated in the proceedings of the Constitutional Court.
“So please accept this letter as the only manner in terms of which I am able to convey my conscientious objection to the manner in which your Constitutional Court Justices have abused their power to take away rights accorded to me by the Constitution,” said Zuma.
He added: “I do not accept that I committed a contempt of court when I decided not to participate in the Commission proceedings in circumstances where my rights would be violated.
“It is clear for all to see that nothing can persuade the Constitutional Court not to incarcerate me.”
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