AfriForum joins Zuma case as concession violates principle of equality before the law

4 July 2021

The civil rights organisation AfriForum has ordered its legal team to start preparations to join the court application of former president Jacob Zuma – which will be heard on 12 July 2021 in the Constitutional Court – as a friend of the court (amicus curiae), in order to demonstrate that the special treatment Mr Zuma is currently receiving by the court is a violation of the principle that everyone should be treated as equal before the law. According to AfriForum, Mr Zuma’s application to have his verdict of guilt set aside does not comply with rule 42 of the Uniform Court Rules, since his absence during his hearing was of his own doing. The organisation finds it particularly strange that the Constitutional Court has agreed to hear the case.

According to Kallie Kriel, CEO of AfriForum, an ordinary citizen would not have been able to receive the same treatment as Mr Zuma before the courts. It is therefore in the interest of every ordinary citizen that AfriForum gets involved and takes a stand to protect the principle of equality before the law. “While the Constitutional Court’s initial ruling against Zuma was widely applauded as a victory for the principle of equality before the law, the latest developments have caused serious damage to the credibility of the judiciary,” Kriel added.

Issued by Andrea van Wyk, Media Relations Officer, AfriForum, 4 July 2021