Zuma could appeal but prospects of winning are few: Expert

Constitutional Law Expert Professor Pierre de Vos says former President Jacob Zuma’s next step could be to ask the court for a permanent stay of prosecution. The National Prosecuting Authority on Friday announced that Zuma will be prosecuted of 16 charges.

The charges include one count of racketeering, two counts of corruption, one count of money laundering and 12 counts of fraud.

“I do not think that there is an appeal to this decision in the sense that the decision is now made. Theoretically the former President could challenge the decision not to drop the charges, but that will never hold water in the court of law. His next option is to approach the court and to ask the court to have the permanent stay of prosecution so that the court decides whether he is capable of getting a fair trial or not. “

De Vos says the decision to prosecute Zuma had already been taken by the Supreme Court of Appeal.

“Well actually it was not a decision to prosecute him, it was a decision not to drop the charges because the Supreme Court of Appeal had already made it clear that there was a valid decision to prosecute the former President so this was just the question of should the charges be dropped again and the NPA said in line with the SCA judgement that no they are not going to drop charges there is a winnable case.”

Legal journalist Karyn Maugham says that the NPA’s decision is important to South Africans because it shows equality of all before the law.

“I think that this case is so important because the majority of South Africans for a very long time, there was just a feeling that the alleged misdeeds of the politically powerful were seemingly above the rule of law and were seemingly above interrogation, investigation and prosecution.”