Man who spilled drink on Zuma to be sentenced.

The man found guilty of spilling his drink on President Jacob Zuma, Daryl Peense, will be sentenced on November 1, the Durban Magistrate's Court heard on Wednesday.  He was found guilty of assault on July 27. During the trial, Peense denied deliberately spilling his drink on the president, claiming it spilled when people pushed against him to get a better view of Zuma. He claimed he was drunk at the time and was standing over a balcony when this happened. It emerged during the trial that the spilled drink did not touch the president as a bodyguard had shielded him.

This is a story from the that tells you much about South Africa and accountability. A man, accused of spilling a drink on the President in July, although the drink never actually hit the President as he was shielded by a bodyguard, was convicted of assault and is waiting on his sentencing. Now, one can have a debate as to whether or not he should have been convicted, whether or not it was deliberate and what the sentence should be (the person who threw a show at George W. Bush got three years in jail, although that was clearly and attempt to inflicted harm) but what is remarkable here, is the speed of the case through the justice system. All things being relative, it has fairly raced through. 

Consider the many, many other cases which have not yet been dealt with. In the Western Cape alone the DA has filed no end of incredibly serious cases with the Public Prosecutor’s Office and the SAPS (the Hip Hop communications tender, members of the ANCYL breaking down structures in Makhaza - for which we have video footage! - people assaulting police officers in Hangberg, etc). All of them have gone next to nowhere, some for years. 

At national level we opened dockets on some incredibly serious matters from the Arms Deal to the Police Commissioner. Nothing. When we have not laid charges, and have asked for investigations (just ask David Maynier how long it has taken to get the appointment of Paul Ngobeni - an actual fugitive from justice - investigated by the intelligence services) not a thing. Even when people connected to the ANC are convicted, it is farcical. The Travelgate MPs, a great many of whom escaped prosecution altogether, took over five years to convict and even then it was only by agreement and they were all deployed to other prestigious positions straight afterwards. But spill a drink on the President and it appears you will feel the full weight of the law. It says a great deal. About accountability and about the justice system but, I suspect, most of all, about the President’s ego.

  
Content from DA Executive Director of Innovation and Projects, Gareth van Onselen and the South Africa Press Association.