Sapa
Thursday, November 09, 2006
JACOB Zuma has emerged unscathed from the Supreme Court of Appeal's dismissal of Schabir Shaik's appeal against his corruption convictions, the African National Congress (ANC) Youth League said today.
"The Supreme Court of Appeal passed the unequivocal message that the person found guilty was Mr Shaik and not (ANC deputy president) Zuma," league president Fikile Mbalula told a news conference in Johannesburg.
Mbalula said Judge Craig Howie's ruling on Monday did nothing to enhance or diminish the possibility of the National Prosecuting Authority recharging Zuma for corruption.
"Any recharging of Zuma would constitute a witchhunt, a fishing expedition that would effectively perpetuate the NPA's continued leap from one disaster to another."
It would achieve nothing except prejudice Zuma's political standing, he said.
Mbalula said judge Hilary Squires made a "sensational pronouncement" when he said there was a "generally corrupt relationship" between Shaik and Zuma when he found Shaik guilty on corruption charges. Mbalula questioned why, if there was a link between Shaik and Zuma, the two had never been charged together.
Zuma and French arms company Thint were charged with corruption after Shaik's conviction of corruption in the Durban High Court last year. Judge Herbert Msimang however threw Zuma's case out of the Pietermaritzburg High Court in September.
The Young Communist League added its voice to that of the ANC Youth League.
The league's Castro Ngobese said at the same news conference today that if Zuma were to be recharged President Thabo Mbeki had to face charges as well over his role in the country's arms deal. "We think he (Mbeki) has a case to answer," said Ngobese.
Meawhile, local press were holding vigil outside Durban's Westville prison today in a bid to get the final snapshot of convicted businessman Schabir Shaik entering gaol.
The media converged on the prison after a local radio report stated that Shaik would be booked into the prison today.
Prison warders with dogs could be seen outside the prison grounds and a police helicopter was circling the area. However it was not clear when Shaik will begin his 15-year sentence following the dismissal of his appeal by the Supreme Court of Appeal on Monday. It is believed Shaik will have to hand himself to prison authorities tomorrow morning at the latest.