Johannesburg – Former president Jacob Zuma is in Russia, where he is receiving medical treatment, the Jacob G Zuma Foundation said Friday.
The trip to Russia coincided with the Constitutional Court’s Ruling Thursday that said Zuma’s release from prison on medical parole was unlawful.
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“The JGZ Foundation has noted the media reports and speculation about the recent trip of our patron to the Republic of Russia,” said Spokesperson Mzwanele Manyi.
“The Foundation confirms that H.E President Zuma travelled to Russia last week for health reasons, and he will be returning to the country once his doctors have completed their treatment.
“Although the trip was private, it isn’t a secret as incorrectly suggested. H.E President Zuma and his team travelled on a commercial flight full of passengers.
“The Foundation wishes its patron good health and a safe return home whenever the doctors release him.”
The former president recently visited Victoria Falls, where he reportedly represented Belarus at a Zimbabwe conference on the trade in African carbon credits.
Reacting to the JGZ Foundation, Herman Mashaba the leader of ActionSA said: “President Zuma cannot dodge jail by fleeing to Russia”.
Mashaba said Zuma should not try to avoid accountability and instead “return to prison as ruled by the Constitutional Court on Thursday”.
The president of ActionSA added: “It is extremely suspicious that a day after the Constitutional Court ruled that President Zuma should return to the Estcourt Correctional Centre to complete his prison sentence, it emerged that he fled to Russia to seek medical attention.
“President Zuma – who oversaw the biggest destruction of state entities during his presidency – has long used the same Stalingrad tactics, such as endless and vexatious interlocutory court action or seeking medical attention, to avoid answering questions at the State Capture inquiry or going to prison as ruled by the courts”.
The ActionSA leader also called for the Constitutional Court ruling to be upheld, and that South African law enforcement take the necessary action to ensure that Zuma does not escape accountability.
“It cannot be that President Zuma is treated differently than any other South African, by repeatedly frustrating our legal processes and undermining our Constitutional Democracy,” said Mashaba.
“‘Our judicial system has become one of the last remaining independent bodies upholding South African law and no one should therefore be allowed to undermine it.”
ActionSA said threats of violence due to our legal processes should be dealt with decisively.
“ActionSA will continue to monitor events around how the law is adhered to, and where necessary we will not hesitate to take additional action,” Mashaba said.
