This Monday morning was no ordinary day at the Zondo Commission as the building was surrounded by high police presence, as Former President Jacob Zuma was expected to give his testimony into state capture. However in a twist of events his legal team filed a letter to the commission which stated that Zuma will not be presenting himself before the commission. Zuma says the premise of his decision is based on the argument that  he is  still busy pursuing a review application on the claim that the Chairperson of the Commission, Deputy Chief Justice Zondo has failed to recuse himself. 

However Zondo has dismissed these claims and stated that the commission had informed the Constitutional Court that Zuma may pursue an application review looking into the recusal of Zondo as the Chairperson of the inquiry. However the Constitutional court stated that the former president is still required to give his testimony regardless of the application.

“In that application, the point is made quite clearly that the commission was aware that Mr Zuma intended to launch a review application in regard to the recusal application and it was contended by the secretary of the commission (Itumeleng Mosala) that that would be no ground for him not to appear before the commission in the meantime,” said Zondo.

Zondo said Zuma and his legal team already knew this information. More so he stated that he does not understand why Zuma is afraid to take the witness stand and give his testimony like all the other witnesses. Evidence leader on the commission advocate Paul Pretorius said that he also does not understand why the former president is failing to present himself before the commission given that he has also been "implicated to date by the evidence of at least 40 witnesses".  

Pretorious also added that whether Former President jacob Zuma believes he has been accused of wrongdoing or not, his responses to those allegations are still directly relevant to the work of this commission.