President Jacob Zuma filed a supplementary affidavit in the matter of Chonco and 383 others, being heard in the Constitutional Court today, 4 February 2010. The case relates to 384 individuals associated with the Inkatha Freedom Party (IFP) who applied for presidential pardons in 2003, who have asked the Constitutional Court to compel the President to consider their applications. In the supplementary affidavit, President Zuma indicates that he has processed all 384 applications.
He has therefore asked that the Court not to grant the applicants the relief that they seek. “The relief they seek is in fact rendered academic by the fact that the applicants’ applications have all been processed,” the affidavit says.
The supplementary affidavit indicates that President Zuma has considered and applied his mind to all 384 applications for pardon. He has made the following decisions in respect of the applications:
* Out of the 384 applications, he has decided to reject 230 applications. The applicants will be informed of the outcome within a reasonable time through the normal channels.
* Of the 384 applicants, 146 made application for pardon in terms of the special dispensation announced by President Thabo Mbeki in 2008. A court order granted by the North Gauteng High Court on 6 April 2009 interdicted and prevented the President from making any final decision regarding these applications. Until judgment is delivered on the matter, the President is unable to make any final decision on these 146 applications.
* Of the 384 applications, a total of eight applications remain. Although the applicants did not apply for pardon in terms of the special dispensation, their circumstances are closely linked to those applicants who applied in terms of the special dispensation process as discussed above. The President has therefore decided that it would not be fair to the eight applicants or the special dispensation applicants to be considered separately because of the link between their circumstances.
The Presidency trusts that this will bring the matter currently before the Constitutional Court to an end.
Source: The Presidency (http://www.thepresidency.gov.za0
