SA was ‘too blinded by hatred’ of Zuma to see how badly he was treated, court hears
Former president's rights were 'deeply compromised' and 'deeply dehumanised and stigmatised' by NPA's actions, says his advocate
Former president Jacob Zuma’s advocate argued on Monday that South Africans have been too “blinded by hatred” for him to understand just how deeply his rights have been compromised by the National Prosecuting Authority (NPA). Advocate Muzi Sikhakhane repeatedly suggested that the belief that Zuma was “scum” had prevented many people from acknowledging the “egregious” way he had been treated — which Zuma himself maintains was the worst violation of rights experienced in democratic SA. He said Zuma had been deeply “dehumanised” and stigmatised by the way the NPA had pursued its case against him, which had left him “synonymous with corruption”. Zuma’s tenure as president was dogged by allegations of corruption and being party to state capture with his friends the Gupta family. He was also found by the Constitutional Court to have failed to uphold the constitution with regard to public protector findings on his Nkandla homestead. Judge Thoba Poyo-Dlwati asked Sikhakhane when Zuma’s n...
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