Former president Jacob Zuma is speaking for the first time since his incarceration following his contempt of court ruling that resulted in a 15-month jail sentence. 

Speaking virtually at the “welcome home prayer” held by the JG Zuma Foundation, the former head of state said “something has gone terribly wrong in our country”. 

“The main aspects of the unconstitutional debacle that ended with my current imprisonment are repeating, yes, I remain a prisoner under very strict parole conditions.”

He said many attempts were made to remove him from any leadership position in the ANC and the government since 1994. 

“The judiciary commission of inquiry was the final measure of those who fear what I represent. There is no legislation in terms of which anyone can direct the president to appoint a commission of inquiry,” he claimed.

Zuma continues to insist that the state capture inquiry was unconstitutionally and unlawfully established, because then Public Protector Thuli Madonsela ordered that the power to appoint its chairperson must be taken out of his hands.

This, she explained, was to avoid any perception of conflict of interest, as Zuma, his son and his friends, the Gupta family, were all implicated in the alleged wrongdoing that the commission was tasked to investigate. Judge President Dunstan Mlambo and two other judges agreed.