President Cyril Ramaphosa has won his bid to interdict his predecessor’s private prosecution against him, with costs. In a judgment delivered on Wednesday, the Gauteng High Court in Johannesburg found among other things that former President Jacob Zuma instituted the private prosecution of Ramaphosa for an ulterior motive.
Former president Zuma accused President Ramaphosa of being an accessory to a crime related to prosecutor advocate Billy Downer’s alleged leaking of the former President’s medical records. He further alleged that the President failed to act on the alleged breach which he argues compromised the National Prosecuting Authority (NPA) and by extension, the criminal justice system as a whole.
The Gauteng High Court in Johannesburg declared that the ‘Nolle Prosequi Certificates’ issued by the NPA do not apply to President Ramaphosa. The court further declared the summons issued against Ramaphosa to be invalid, unlawful and subsequently set it aside. In addition, the private prosecution itself was declared unlawful and unconstitutional and subsequently set aside. Zuma is to pay for the costs.
VIDEO: Zuma vs Ramaphosa Live proceedings 26 May 2023
