The Pietermaritzburg High Court is expected to hear an urgent application today by state prosecutor, Advocate Billy Downer and legal journalist, Karyn Maughan, asking the court to enforce the court order setting aside their private prosecution by former president, Jacob Zuma.
This will ensure that the pair stay out of the courts pending Zuma’s appeal.
Zuma is charging Downer with leaking a confidential document on his health to Maughan in the course of his trial.
The private prosecution was earlier adjourned to August 4.
A full bench of the Pietermaritzburg High Court found last month that Zuma’s private prosecution is unlawful and ordered him not to take any further steps to prosecute Downer and Maughan.
The court’s ruling included that the basis of Zuma’s private prosecution is invalid and that he was abusing the court process.
The former president’s legal team filed an application for leave to appeal at the end of June, arguing that a court’s ruling is suspended once an appeal is pending.
However, Maughan argues that the abuse she suffers on social media will continue if the private prosecution is not suspended.
