The lawyer for President Cyril Ramaphosa, Advocate Ngwako Maenetjie, has argued that the president’s rights would be trampled upon in the private prosecution bid launched by former president Jacob Zuma.
He is arguing in the Johannesburg High Court in the urgent application to interdict Zuma’s proceedings.
Zuma launched the private prosecution bid against Ramaphosa last year over what he says is the President’s failure to act against prosecutor, Advocate Billy Downer over the alleged disclosure of his medical records.
Maenetjie says the law provides the President with protection over what he says is unlawful prosecution.
Meanwhile, Legal analyst, Ulrich Roux says Ramaphosa’s case has merit.
“I think that there’s merit in the current president’s argument, Mr Ramaphosa, that there’s an abuse of the process by Jacob Zuma, and the reason why I say so is that in order to institute a private prosecution, you need to obtain a nolle proseque certificate from the National Prosecuting Authority. What that entails is that the NPA has confirmed that the NPA that they will not be prosecuting a criminal charge that has been laid. Now, Jacob Zuma obtained a nolle proseque certificate against Karyn Maughan and advocate Billy Downer pertaining to the disclosure of his medical records before the high court, and it was a contravention of the NPA Act, but nowhere on that nolle proseque certificate appears president Ramaphosa’s name, and in that regard. I think that it is an abuse and I don’t for see there being any chances of success.”
The video below discusses the private prosecution case against President Ramaphosa:
