Former president Jacob Zuma will not attend the start of his corruption case in the High Court in Pietermaritzburg in KwaZulu-Natal because he has an undisclosed medical condition. That’s according to the Jacob Zuma Foundation spokesperson Mzwanele Manyi.
Zuma’s legal team is due to apply for a further postponement of his trial.
Judge Piet Koen had ruled that the trial would start on Monday. Zuma’s petition to the Supreme Court of Appeal for leave to appeal the ruling against the recusal of lead prosecutor Advocate Billy Downer was dismissed earlier.
Zuma is arguing that he will not get a fair trial because Downer is biased and guilty of misconduct. Zuma and French arms dealer Thales are being charged with corruption in connection with the 1990s multi-billion-rand arms deal.
Court proceedings below:
SABC reporter Ayanda Mhlongo spoke to legal expert Mpumelelo Zikalala outside court on the latest delay to the start of this trial.
“Depending on when the illness took place so they are going to say grant us time, we are not disputing anything. We need adequate time so that we are able to file this medical certificate we are well aware of what is going to happen, we can come here and say our client who is the accused in this case is not at court, he’s not feeling well on the next occasion we are going to come with a full medical history and the instances which have caused this particular delay with the medical illness.”
Zuma’s case a manipulation of state resources
Earlier, ANC member and former Umkhonto we Sizwe Military Veterans Association spokesperson Carl Niehaus said Zuma’s corruption case is a manipulation of the state resources to settle political battles in the governing party. Niehaus had just arrived at the High Court in Pietermaritzburg in KwaZulu-Natal.
Niehaus says the past 22 years have been a lot for Zuma to endure and State Prosecutor, Advocate Billy Downer must be removed from his case.
“It indicates for me a continuation of 22 years of manipulation of this case, by the authorities, including Mr Billy Downer. He’s been at the heart of this case throughout. And we know how the NPA has been manipulating this case making sure the president Jacob Zuma at certain stages was specifically arrested.”
