South Africa's ruling African National Congress isexpressing its displeasure with the National Prosecuting Authority in what itdescribed as its casting aside all pretence of professionalism orpolitical neutrality in the corruption case against the president of the party.This comes after the chairman of the prosecuting authority suggested in aninterview that the agency's case against the ANC leader has become difficult tohandle due to its political nature. Mokotedi Mpshe said the judge who recentlythrew out the corruption charges against ANC leader Jacob Zuma, citingpolitical manipulation was wrong in his ruling. From the capital, Pretoria,South African political analyst Somadoda Fikeni tells reporter Peter Clotteythat the ANC is treating the remark as supporting its long held view that Zumais being subjected to political persecution.
"He(ANC general Secretary Gwede Mantashe) is expressing the sentiments of thecurrent ANC leadership, which had hoped that after Nicholson's (South AfricanJudge who threw away the graft charges against the leader of the ANC) judgmentthe matter would be laid to rest and then Zuma would then go to the presidencywithout all these legal hurdles. So that the director has shown suchdetermination that they are appealing and not only that, but they would alsopursue the case against Zuma. I'm sure that has angered a number of ANC peoplewho thought the matter was closed," Fikeni pointed out.
Hesaid the chairman of the National Prosecuting Authority (NPA) is within hisright to make comments about the case against the ANC leader.
"Hedefinitely has a right to do that and as such what the NPA has been trying todo is to assert its autonomy from the executive and from the politicalpressures just like other entities within the country such as the justicesystem that has come under pressure due to the Zuma case and many other aspectsof this transitional period. So all what he was trying to do is to assert thatautonomy of the institution and also to state that the judgment itself waswrong to make assumption that there had been some interference in the work ofthe NPA by the political heads," he said.
Fikenisaid there seem to be sharp differences in South Africa's society over thecorruption charges against the President of the ANC Jacob Zuma.
"There is quite a divisionwithin the society. There are those who are actually puzzled by Zuma's appealafter appeal because they say if he had nothing to hide, he would avail himselfand let this process go through. But there are those who feel that the case hasgone on for too long. Therefore it would not be any justice against Zuma afterso many years when these charges were hanging over his head. So the societyitself is as divided on this matter as the political parties are," Fikenipointed out.
He said the ANC presidentwould be facing serious legal challenges if he wins the presidency in nextyear's election with his ongoing legal corruption problems.
"Definitely, this would bequite a complex issue. In fact, the opposition parties are going to raise theissue of values of leaders, the ethics and all that which the ANC would not bevery comfortable with, especially, at a time when Zuma is facing all theselegal hurdles. Once he (Zuma) becomes president and the charges go ahead, thatis going to create a lot of friction between the judiciary and the executivebranch," he said.
Fikeni reiterated thatZuma's possible presidency might be inhibited by his legal challenges, althoughthe ruling might seek some relief to allow his him room to carry out hismandate as South Africa's president.
"It would also create manychallenges for him because he cannot discharge his role without being disruptedby the court cases. And that in itself you might even have some of the ANCmembers looking for a special dispensation that would cover him while he is asitting president, as was the case with Silvio Berlusconi in Italy," Fikeninoted.
TheANC said Mpshe's remark effectively admits that the National ProsecutingAuthority is pursuing a political vendetta against ANC President Zuma.
Thesecretary general of the African National Congress Gwede Mantashe said Mpshe'sstatement is ample evidence that he and the NPA had very little regard for therule of law and for the ruling of the judiciary. He added that Mpshe'sstatement that he would hold judge Chris Nicholson wrong even 14 years from nowmeans he would insist on holding that position regardless of the outcome of theappeal the NPA is currently pursuing.