Former President Jacob Zuma’s lawyer, advocate Thabani Masuku told the High Court in Pretoria that a considerable amount of time has lapsed for both the Democratic Alliance (DA) and the Economic Freedom Fighters (EFF) to bring a review application.
Adv Masuku said a principle of 180 days applies in this matter and that time has lapsed.
The DA and EFF filed papers at the High Court, asking it to set aside a 2006 agreement the Presidency had signed, over legal costs Zuma incurred for his criminal prosecution.
Following arguments advanced by DA lawyer, advocate Sean Rosenberg and EFF’s Thembeka Ngcukaitobi, Masuku in reply to their arguments said the two parties have missed an opportunity to bring this application at the appropriate time.
Masuku said, “Both the DA and the EFF applications somehow, one must look at the date they became aware, especially in the DA application of the costs that were involved. In the EFF application of the exorbitant costs that were involved. That can’t be the basis on which they content the right or the duty to bring the review application in a reasonable time kicked in.”
“It kicked in when the decision was made. It kicked in when the EFF should have known, ought to have known, what ought to have known about that decision,” added Masuku.
