Mr Zuma is no ordinary litigant. He is the former President of the Republic, who remains a public figure and continues to wield significant political influence, while acting as an example to his supporters… He has a great deal of power to incite others to similarly defy court orders because his actions and any consequences, or lack thereof, are being closely observed by the public. If his conduct is met with impunity, he will do significant damage to the rule of law. As this Court noted in Mamabolo, “[n]o one familiar with our history can be unaware of the very special need to preserve the integrity of the rule of law”. Mr Zuma is subject to the laws of the Republic. No person enjoys exclusion or exemption from the sovereignty of our laws… It would be antithetical to the value of accountability if those who once held high office are not bound by the law.
This interesting tidbit caught my eye:
The ANC’s Eastern Cape leadership has renewed its call for President Thabo Mbeki to stand for a third term as party leader. Provincial chairperson Stone Sizani asked the crowd at the opening of the party’s provincial office in King William’s Town on Friday what it was Mbeki needed to do.
Some within the crowd responded eagerly by holding three fingers in the air – representing three terms as ANC president. The crowd roared with support when Mbeki responded humorously in isiXhosa that he had 10 fingers, not only three.