Eric Naki

Eric Naki

The Black Management Forum, influential businesspeople and constitutional and human rights leaders will debate whether a political solution is the right option to let ANC president Jacob Zuma off the hook in his corruption saga.

The issue will be high on BMF's agenda at its annual general meeting next month.

The meeting will be held at the Sandton Convention Centre.

The debate on Zuma was put on the table by SACP general secretary Blade Nzimande when he called for a political solution.

Nzimande called on South Africans to debate the issue, saying it was not in the country's interest to continue with the case.

This week several businesspeople favoured the idea, while others opposed it.

BMF managing director Mncane Mthunzi said delegates had been asked to debate the issue before the organisation adopted a formal position.

He said inputs had also been made by constitutional expert Shadrack Gutto and Human Rights Commission chief executive Tseliso Thipanyane.

President Thabo Mbeki, DA parliamentary leader Sandra Botha and ANC general secretary Gwede Mantashe will address the indaba. It will also be attended by top business leaders including Lot Ndlovu, Gill Marcus, Wiseman Nkuhlu, Carl Niehaus and Theo Botha.

Political analyst André Duvenage said political amnesty for Zuma meant nothing else but an amnesty. He said if Zuma was given amnesty it would send the wrong message to the outside world that South Africa is a lawless society.

"General amnesty will mean that Zuma will not stand trial and taking him out of the judicial process will send the wrong message about the respect for the rule of law," Duvenage said.

"A politician cleared through amnesty must be excluded from all public positions, including the presidency, because otherwise it would corrupt the entire system and bring the judiciary into disrepute."