SOUTH AFRICA: Zuma faces court battle over Fica bill

President Jacob Zuma is facing a fresh legal battle in the Constitutional Court, with the Council for the Advancement of the South African Constitution (Casac) saying he failed to fulfil his constitutional obligations by not signing the Financial Intelligence Centre Amendment Bill, known as the Fica bill.


The court action capped a dramatic week as Zuma faced calls to step down following the release of the former public protector’s report into state capture which found that his relationship with the Guptas may have led to violations of the Executive Ethics Act. This section of the Constitution requires public administrators to uphold high standards of professional ethics.
In April, in its ruling on the Nkandla matter, the Constitutional Court found that Zuma had failed to uphold, defend and respect the Constitution.

A founding affidavit filed on Friday by Casac executive secretary Lawson Naidoo said Zuma had failed to fulfil his constitutional obligations by delaying his assent to the Fica bill after receiving it in June.
The council is seeking a declaration from the highest court that Zuma failed to comply with the Constitution’s obligations by not signing the bill, or referring it to back to the National Assembly for reconsideration of "identified reservations".

by Penelope Mashego/BDlive