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Downer happy with Zuma’s new legal team

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State prosecutor Advocate Billy Downer is relieved that former President Jacob Zuma new legal team will not resort to delaying tactics in his corruption case at the High Court in Pietermaritzburg. This follows Zuma’s old legal team’s so called “Stalingrad tactics” of contesting every legal point in an apparent bid to buy time.

Zuma’s new advocate Mike Hellens appears to have changed tactics. The court has granted the new legal team three months until November to familiarise themselves with the case.

Downer says he will argue that the defence’s delays over the last decade had prejudiced the state.

“That’s being so we nevertheless have suffered as a result of those tactics by the various delays. That will be part of our argument. My learned friend will have some arguments to the contrary, that’s all fine. But that explains our disquiet that we are now a year down the line, nearly a year down the line from the decision to cancel the previous decision not to proceed with the charges, and yet we are still involved in preliminary litigation.”

Judge Mjabuliseni Madondo says both the state and defence have concurred that they will be ready to proceed with the trial.

Downer referred to Zuma’s previous advocate Kemp J Kemp’s comment in court that they would adopt a Stalingrad approach in fighting Zuma’s prosecution. This referred to the Soviet army fighting house-to-house in Stalingrad to slow down the invading German army during the Second World War.

Mike Hellens told the High Court in Pietermaritzburg earlier today that finances were no longer an issue and that they also decided not to ask for a review of the NPA’s decision to turn down representations to stop the prosecution.

Niehaus calls for support Zuma

MKMVA spokesperson, Carl Niehaus, claims Nelson Mandela would have supported embattled former President Jacob Zuma.

Niehaus addressed Zuma supporters saying, “To say that the structures of the ANC should not officially support Msholozi and come to court cases must come to an end. We want to encourage all the structures of the ANC and all the various associations to support that particular position, which is a progressive position by the PEC of this province.

“Let us recommit ourselves to radical economic transformation and to make sure that Msholozi started with the announcement of free education at a tertiary level,”  Niehaus explains.

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