Jacob Zuma’s refusal to appear before it was no ordinary contempt of court, said the state capture commission in papers to the Constitutional Court on Monday. “It is a unique and extreme case of contempt of court, for which there is no meaningful precedent.”

The commission filed its legal argument in its application to the ConCourt to have the former president held in contempt and sentenced to two years in prison. This came after Zuma did not turn up at the inquiry in February, despite a ConCourt order to obey the commission’s summons. He did not participate in the hearing before the ConCourt in December and so far has not responded to the contempt application...