Zuma may invoke right to silence if forced to testify
It's been suggested former president Jacob Zuma might choose to remain silent, should he be made to testify before the State Capture Commission of Inquiry.
His lawyer, Advocate Muzi Sikhakhane has been arguing their case in their application to have chairperson Justice Raymond Zondo to recuse himself.
Zuma claims he and Zondo have a long-standing personal history and has accused the justice of bias.
Sikhakhane says the environment for his client to testify has to be fair.
"If you blow us today, don't agree with us as I said, I have a mountain to climb, what happens? Do we get Mr Zuma here as a guarantee, no, if we approach it that way, even if we lose we will review you," he said.
"We will go as far as wherever and that's not helpful. If you force me to bring him without the climate being created for him to believe that he is not being charged, well I'll put him there Chair and he will exercise his right to say nothing."
READ: Zondo: Zuma and I are not friends
Sikhakhane says he believes the country deserves a climate that can interrogate the subject matter without judging.
"I'm suggesting that there is a way to protect a process like this because it's big and so when Mr Zuma raises these issues about your comments. Some of your comments look mild."
Earlier - Deputy Chief Justice Zondo said he didn't have a personal relationship with the former president.
"Although Mr Zuma and I have a cordial relationship and have over the years interacted with each other pleasantly, wherever we met, mostly in government functions. Mr Zuma's statement that we are friends is not accurate."
Zondo says since 2012, he has sat on a number of matters in the Constitutional Court involving Zuma.
