'Fake news'- Myeni did not convince Zuma to hand himself over - JZ Foundation. Picture: Twitter
The Jacob Zuma Foundation condemned the various media reports that former South African Airways (SAA) board chairperson Dudu Myeni convinced Jacob Zuma to hand himself over.
According to a News24 report, Myeni made a “frantic call” on the 11th hour to National Police Commissioner General Khehla Sitole just five minutes before the police’s special forces were ready to arrest Zuma’s at his Nkandla compound.
The former president foundation released a statement on Saturday saying the reports were “malicious” and were “falsehoods.”
“The foundation wishes to put it on record that these reports are a pure fabrication and veiled attempts to portray President Zuma as a delinquent who requires extraordinary persuasion to respect the law, notwithstanding the unconstitutionality of the whole sentencing process,” the statement read.
The foundation criticised the media for not giving them the right to reply. If they had, they would have been given “verifiable facts to contradict their storyline.”
Zuma foundation explained what occurred on the evening of 11 July was the legal team engaged in an urgent court process in the Pietermaritzburg Hugh Court.
The court bid was an attempt to bring forward a judgment that was reserved for 9 July. “The legal team had hoped that the decision would be in favour of suspending implementation of the arrest order pending the finalisation of the rescission application which the Constitutional Court was seized with.”
The foundation reiterated that Myeni did not persuade Zuma to himself over. They also clarified that Myeni call was about receiving feedback from the legal team after Zuma decided he had exhausted all his legal options.
Senior police sources, who spoke to News24 on condition of anonymity claimed that Myeni’s call at 22:55 “averted a blood-stained confrontation” between Zuma’s supporters who were picketing outside his home, and the special forces team that was awaiting Sitole’s instruction to invade the compound.
Myeni is a close ally to Zuma. The foundation added that Zuma’s final words before he was arrested were, “there should spilling of blood in my name.”
In June, Zuma was sentenced to 15-months in jail by the ConCourt for his failure to obey orders to appear and testify before the Commission of Inquiry into Allegations of State Capture. He was serving his jail term at the Estcourt Correctional Centre in KZN.
The former president has been admitted to hospital for medical observation for an undisclosed illness.
Compiled by Sandisiwe Mbhele