Poison saga of ex-president’s wife in spotlight, too

The bizarre removal from the Nkandla homestead and subsequent detention by the State Security Agency (SSA) of maNtuli Zuma – wife of former president Jacob Zuma – following unproven allegations six years ago of involvement in the “poisoning” of her husband, yesterday had a sequel at the Commission of Inquiry into State Capture.

In 2019, maNtuli instructed lawyer Ulrich Roux to write to National Prosecuting Authority head Shamila Batohi to finalise the investigation, after awaiting her fate since 2015.

Referring to maNtuli’s detention in Durban North, SSA acting director-general Loyiso Jafta told Deputy Chief Justice Raymond Zondo: “There was a report in the media of an attempted murder of former president Jacob Zuma, allegedly by his wife – maNtuli.

“This matter was investigated by, among others, the State Security Agency.

“Mrs Zuma was then in essence put in the custody of the State Security Agency. She was in remand detention, without having gone through due processes – kept against her will and without evidence.”

Remarked Zondo: “If she was kept there against her will, that would be quite serious because it would be detention by an organ of state in circumstances where no law allowed an organ of state to detain her.”

Responded Jafta: “It is one example showing the straddling of the private and the public person of former president Zuma.

“I have to say that it is very difficult to determine with absolute certainty that a president has given an instruction or not.

“I don’t want to create an impression that former president Zuma was always aware and consented to many of the things that were done, presumably for his benefit.

“When you assist and advance the political agenda of a faction associated with the president, you assist his private person.”