Jacob Zuma says he will change the constitution if elected

Former president Jacob Zuma wants to make changes to the constitution because he believes it is “unfair to African people” and says if his new political party, uMkhonto weSizwe, takes over governance he would implement changes “urgently”.

Zuma was speaking on Sunday at the church of rape accused Bishop Bafana Stephen Zondo of the Rivers of Living Waters Ministries in Evaton. 

“I am not sure why we applaud the constitution so much and say, ‘This is one of the best constitutions in the world’, because it is not like that,” Zuma said.

He told the congregants he was sent to jail by the Constitutional Court in 2021 without “committing a crime”.

In 2021, the apex court sentenced Zuma to 15 months in prison after he was found guilty of contempt of court for failure to comply with an order of the court to appear before the state capture commission. 

“I was arrested without arguing or given a chance to challenge the case in court. The judges, who took my right, because I refused to go to court and gave my lawyers the power to appear on my behalf, were angry and sentenced me to jail.”

Zuma said “faults” in the constitution were one of things that “fell through the cracks” during the Codesa negotiations, and parliament failed to challenge “unfair” laws. 

“I did not know, in a democratic country, I would be sent to jail without committing a crime. The negotiations were not the last stop for our freedom. How can we say we are free, but our land is in the hands of white people? What made us say the constitution is number one, but it has never removed doubt about the land act?

“Once we take over, we will change the law, urgently,” he said amid loud applause. 

Zondo prayed for Zuma after he spoke. The church leader, in his prayer, said: “We thank you Lord for a gift that you have created for a time such as this. Father, we stand up to say we present this gift [Zuma] unto you for your mercy, grace, love and kindness, protection, favour, health and wealth to rest upon him. 

“This is a moving library. We pray before he writes the third book, he should not leave this world because he would be owing us. We pray when Jacob Zuma leaves this world, he must leave it empty. That he should outpour everything you have put inside of him for this country and people. He should leave us with knowledge, wisdom and understanding. 

“We are amazed at the power of memory he has. May you keep him and protect him from his enemies.” 

Zondo’s trial for the alleged rape of seven women, mostly members of his church, continues this month in the Pretoria high court.

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