Reprieve for Zuma as trial put on hold until May

Former president Jacob Zuma has been granted a postponement of his trial until at least the end of May.

Pietermaritzburg high court judge Piet Koen ruled on Monday afternoon that this was to allow the finalisation of his appeal process, presently before the Supreme Court of Appeal. (SCA)

Koen said because of unfortunate delays in the trial, in which Zuma and French arms company Thales are facing charges of fraud, corruption and money-laundering relating to the arms deal, the case now needed to be “strictly managed”.

He set May 17 as a holding date, pending the outcome of the application before the SCA.

He said, depending on the SCA decision, the trial would then resume on May 31 and it would be set down for the rest of the year.

Zuma did not attend Monday’s proceedings. His advocate Dali Mpofu said he had taken ill a few hours before.

He said he expected doctors reports to be filed with the court by the end of the day.

In his ruling, Koen said he had no discretion and had to grant the adjournment. He previously dismissed a bid by Zuma in terms of a “special plea” to remove lead prosecutor Billy Downer from the case.

After refusing to grant him leave to appeal, Zuma then approached the SCA where two judges also refused to grant him leave to appeal. Zuma has now applied to SCA president Mandisa Maya for a reconsideration of that decision.

Koen explained that in terms of law, the ruling by the two SCA judges had been suspended. There was therefore no legal basis on which he could refuse the postponement application and order that the trial must begin.

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