Zuma calls for prayers for ailing judge

Cape Town - President Jacob Zuma extended well wishes to former Judge of the Supreme Court Essa Moosa who is gravely ill in Cape Town.

"We wish the Honourable Judge and his family well during this difficult period," said Zuma in a statement.

"He's done a lot for his country. As a nation let us keep the Judge and his family in our thoughts and prayers. We wish him good health and comfort and wish the family strength as they support him and shower him with love and care," said Zuma.

Moosa hails from District Six in Cape Town, which was flattened by the apartheid government. He went on to become a human rights lawyer, challenging apartheid violations such as detention without trial, and was a founding member of the National Association of Democratic Lawyers.

He retired as a judge of the Western Cape High Court in 2011 and in 2013 he was appointed head of a unit that would investigate complaints against members of the Directorate for Priority Crimes Investigations, better known as the Hawks.