Former president Jacob Zuma is still ill and will not be able to appear before the state capture inquiry later in January, commission chair deputy chief justice Raymond Zondo was told on Tuesday.
He did not turn up for his second appearance, with his lawyers at the time saying he was too ill to take the witness stand. Pretorius said Zuma's medical condition was not disclosed in the affidavit but that confidential information on this would be provided to Zondo in chambers. “From what I have been told, in the affidavit it seems that what he is offering [to tell me] may reveal his illness and I have some discomfort with having to see anybody's information relating to anybody's illness.”
Masuku said it was “embarrassing” to have to tell the commission that Zuma had a medical condition under the threat of a subpoena, and that despite this, the legal team wanted to continue with the arguments.Masuku also asked that the commission's legal team not be given an “open-ended order” to summons to Zuma.