The first round of the maintenance hearing involving former
president Jacob Zuma and his estranged wife, Tobeka Madiba ended without a
final settlement on Tuesday.
Zuma was dragged to the Durban Magistrate’s Court by his
wife, Madiba, who is demanding a monthly maintenance fee of R14 000 for the
upkeep of their 14-year-old daughter.
But Zuma’s lawyer, Eric Mabuza, has dismissed the claim,
saying the former president was a responsible father who was taking care of the
child.
After the hearing, which was held in-camera, Zuma’s legal
representatives - Advocate Nqaba Buthelezi and Advocate Rudolph Mbalula refused
to comment.
While leaving the court precinct, Buthelezi repeatedly told
the media that they have nothing to say about the case.
Madiba herself did not comment after the hearing as she was
whisked away by members of the presidential protection unit, using a back exit.
The maintenance prosecutor, Thulasizwe Mahlobo, said he
could only divulge that the process was a mere mediation and not a court case.
He added that the mediation process was meant to hear both sides regarding the
maintenance matter.
“It was just a mediation process of certain issues that
were happening and then we were just trying to find amicable ground… I was only
facilitating,” Mahlobo said.
He said ethically as a court officer dealing with
maintenance matters, he was not at liberty to disclose the outcome of the
process and referred those questions to lawyers of both parties.
“I was only facilitating and I actually don’t have the
right to give out all the information at the moment up until the attorneys are
happy with both sides and whatever that we agreed upon,” he said.
However, he was able to say both parties will come back to
the court in the near future for further deliberations in his presence.
“They are still going to come back. Both sides are still
going to try and consult with their parties (Zuma and Madiba), then they will
come back to me. Then we will finalise everything that we did with them and
what actually transpired at the meeting.
“Mind you, there was nothing that was discussed before but
currently, both parties were supposed to put their sides of the story so that
we find amicable ground. You see, this is what the meeting was all about,”
Mahlobo said. IOL
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