NATIONAL NEWS - Former president Jacob Zuma’s legal counsel, Muzi Sikhakhane SC, requested an adjournment at the commission of inquiry into state capture to allow his client to reconsider appearing before the inquiry.

Sikhakhane asked for the adjournment on the basis that it was becoming clear to him that Zuma was being cross-examined “on other people’s version” of events and not his own and that his client had been requested to appear before the commission “under false pretence”.

Sikhakhane’s request, which was granted by the chair of the commission, Deputy Chief Justice Raymond Zondo, came after Zuma had taken issue with dealing with the details of Barbara Hogan’s testimony which implicated the former president.

Zuma had taken issue with this because he had earlier denied an allegation made by Hogan that he had interfered in the appointment of a group chief executive officer at Transnet in 2009 and had said his only choice for the position was Siyabonga Gama.

The former president questioned what would be the outcome of being “cross-examined” on the details of Hogan’s testimony when he had refuted the allegation she had levelled and which other response should he give since he had already denied the allegation.

Zondo highlighted that when Hogan gave her version of events at the commission, the inquiry did not necessarily consider it to be true and neither did it necessarily consider Zuma’s denial of it to be true.

Zondo said it was imperative for the commission to look at all relevant issues to have “a full picture from all sides” before concluding.

Zuma responded by saying it would be difficult to deal with the details of Hogan’s testimony because they “are not mine”.

Evidence leader at the commission advocate Paul Pretorius said the commission was not only duty-bound to put before Zuma Hogan’s testimony, which implicates the former president, but that doing so was only fair.

Source: Caxton publication, Alberton Record.