The lawyer for Jacob Zuma made the announcement that the former South African president would no longer give evidence at the inquiry looking into corruption during his tenure. You will recall that on Monday, I expressed my reservations that a commission, which is a creature of statute, which has set out ground rules, writes a letter in June to say we are calling your client in terms of no rules. We expressed our reservations because this commission at all times has to comply with its ground rules. Basically, our client from the beginning was treated as someone who must come and answer, as someone who is accused. Everyone [every witness] who came had a grievance against him. We said our client sat waiting to be treated just like you treated [other witnesses]. This commission does not know who is guilty, its trying to find out. A legal process must be cleansed of prejudices which come from outside... We therefore submit to you that there is something irrational about a parallel approach to the witness. We’ve come to tell you that because of the reservations we’ve raised and our experience in this room that my client has instructed me that he will take no further part in these proceedings.
