Judgment has been reserved in former President Jacob Zuma’s corruption trial.
Zuma and co-accused French arms company Thales want the fraud and corruption charges against them dropped.
The former President is accusing the state of prejudice and says the delays in prosecuting him for his alleged corrupt role in the country’s 1999 multi-billion rand arms deal has caused severe harm to his reputation.
However, the State believes continuing with the trial is in the public’s best interest and a stay in prosecution would threaten the rule of law. It wants the Pietermaritzburg High Court to dismiss Zuma and Thales application with costs.
Don’t allow political meddling in Zuma case: ANCYL KZN
Earlier on Friday, the ANC Youth League (ANCYL) in KwaZulu-Natal urged judges presiding over the Zuma case not to allow political meddling to go unheeded in the administration of justice.
Provincial Youth League Secretary Kwazi Mshengu was speaking outside the Pietermaritzburg High Court. Mshengu raised concerns over the delays in the Zuma matter, which he blames on the State.
He says the Youth League will always support Zuma because the ANC’s youth wing believes the former president’s case is politically motivated.
“We have been with him throughout the journey it really been years. We are here yet again to give him the support and we are hoping that we are really coming to the end if this painful chapter. There has always been police meddling on this case. The concession made by the State has proved beyond reasonable doubt that this case had been politically managed and basically informed in terms of timing. We believe the judges will not allow political meddling take precedence over just. Zuma enjoys all Constitutional right as accorded by the Constitution to all citizens.”
The charges against Zuma and Thales were reinstated in 2018, after being struck off the roll in 2006 – reinstated in 2007 and withdrawn against in 2009.
Watch Zuma addressing supporters outside court:
Watch arguments in court:
