President Cyril Ramaphosa will study the High Court judgment that the state is not liable to pay former President Jacob Zuma’s legal fees in personal criminal matters.
The High Court in Pretoria has ruled against the former President Jacob Zuma in his legal fees battle case.
Led by deputy judge Aubrey Ledwaba, the High Court’s full bench ruled that Zuma is not entitled to state funding in his legal battle.
The Democratic Alliance (DA) filed papers in March this year, asking the High Court to set aside a 2006 agreement about legal costs Zuma incurred for his criminal prosecution that was signed by the Presidency.
Ramaphosa has always stated that he will abide by the decision of the court in this matter.
“President Ramaphosa will study the judgment. He will study its implications for the state and then on the basis of that he will be able to find a way forward.” says presidential spokesperson, Khusela Diko.
Meanwhile the lawyer who represented Zuma, advocate Thabani Masuku, has refused to comment on the outcome of the case.
DA leader Mmusi Maimane has welcomed the judgement, calling it a win for South Africa. He says the judgment sets a precedent. Maimane says no taxpayer should finance politicians’ criminal litigation.
” It’s a sweeping judgement for the people of SA. The DA is fighting that no taxpayer must finance criminal litigation and now we have come to a point where we are saying we are cutting off the ATM. If anyone wants to litigate for corruption, they must do so themselves. It goes for those who are involved in state capture and all of those who have been looting the peoples’ money and now they want the people to pay. Today is a victory for the people of SA.”
