More African National Congress (ANC) top six audio leaks from their meeting with Jacob Zuma have surfaced, this time with Jessie Duarte supporting the former president’s decision not to return to testify before Deputy Chief Justice Raymond Zondo at the state capture commission of inquiry. Last week, a clip of ANC president Cyril Ramaphosa responding to Zuma was also circulated on social media.

The ANC’s top six met with the former president last month to understand his decision to defy a Constitutional Court order for him to return to the commission. Duarte has previously apologised for remarks made questioning the Zondo Commission and the ANC has affirmed its support for the inquiry. ANC deputy secretary-general Jessie Duarte made her feelings strongly known in the almost nine-minute-long clip making the rounds on social media.

In lambasting Zondo, she argued that the state capture commission seemed to have turned into a court, with a prosecutorial attitude to those submitting evidence. Duarte also backed Zuma’s decision to no longer appear before Zondo. "Personally, I believe that it is absolutely not a good thing for comrade Zuma to do given the personal, historical antagonism that exists between them." She complained about transformation in the judiciary, claiming that the ANC always lost cases in the High Court.

In calling for a different set of principles to be adopted, she labeled Mogoeng as the greatest disappointment, raising concerns about his strong religious views. "Even though his Christianity if revered, is honoured, no one will ever tamper with it, he is the Chief Justice for people across the board." The ANC last week said that the leaking of internal party meetings was unfortunate.