Criminal charge to be opened against Jacob Zuma after Zondo inquiry walkout

State capture commission chairperson, deputy chief justice Raymond Zondo, is going for the jugular in his ongoing tussle with former president Jacob Zuma.

This after Zuma walked out of the commission hearing last Thursday after Zondo ruled against his recusal application.

Zondo said the law is binding and it was not up to Zuma to excuse himself from the inquiry. 

Zondo on Monday instructed the secretary of the commission to lodge a criminal complaint with the police against Zuma.

According to the Commissions Act of 1947, anyone absconding from summons to appear before such a forum as Zuma did is, if found guilty, liable to a fine or even imprisonment of up to six months.

Zondo further announced that he will issue Zuma with new dates to appear again.

This move will be accompanied by an urgent application to the Constitutional Court to enforce such summons on Zuma.

It remains to be seen how this will be affected by Zuma's application for review of Zondo's dismissal of his application for recusal.

Zondo said he was “very clear” about what he was doing and wanted to send a strong message that his commission was not a spaza shop.  

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