No reason for Zuma to be given legal aid

IT is difficult to understand what possible justification there could be for the State to accede to a formal request from dismissed deputy-president Jacob Zuma to pay his legal fees when he faces two counts of corruption in the Durban High Court next year.

Further, it is not easy to appreciate why the ANC should propose that Zuma should approach the State with this request in what could well be perceived as support for such a course of action.

It is correct that the State should fund the legal costs of a government employee, acting bona fide and in his official capacity, where liability is incurred, as happens fairly often.

But that is not the case as far as Zuma is concerned. Rather, we are dealing with a situation where it is alleged that through his “generally corrupt” relationship with Schabir Shaik, convicted on charges of corruption and fraud earlier this year, he solicited a substantial bribe from a French arms company.

In such a case, Zuma could not have been acting in his official capacity when he allegedly sought the payment, nor could such an action by any stretch of the imagination be construed as bona fide.

What needs to be appreciated, is that Zuma is not a special case. He was certainly a hero of the struggle for liberation; he was deputy president of this country, and he is, clearly, a very popular leader within his party. But in the post-1994 South Africa, we are all equal before the law and, like any other citizen of this country, if he is alleged to have transgressed he must be tried, with the caveat that he is innocent until proven guilty.

This is not the time to give in to the demands of those who would happily tear up our internationally respected Constitution, or to treat the politically powerful differently.

Rather, it is time to stop bowing to pressure from Zuma’s increasingly strident supporters, let the law take its course, and to apply the same rules as would be in force for any other person facing similar sserious charges.

World team lacked any passion

THE one-sided contests between the Australian cricket team and a side selected from the rest of the world has proved an enormous embarrassment to the International Cricket Council which organised the much-awaited match-up.

Clearly, the ICC had high hopes that the teams would be evenly matched and provide a memorable showpiece for the sport.

Unfortunately, the opposite happened and the world compilation was thrashed in every game they played. Worst of all was the historic six-day test between the sides which turned out to be a four-day farce as the Australians, clearly out to restore some lost pride following their loss to England in the recent Ashes series, simply demolished the fragile World XV batting line-up.

From a South African perspective the failure of some of our top players selected for the world team, will be a cause of considerable concern, bearing in mind South Africa play the Australians later in the year and again in early 2006. Our so-called stars like Graeme Smith, Jacques Kallis and Shaun Pollock all disappointed.

The failure of the World XV encounters against the world champion Aussies has brought into question whether there is any point in these matches.

It was patently obvious that while the home side were playing with enormous passion the world’s star line-up was simply going through the motions.