In a few months, the pre-trial in the corruption trial against former president Jacob Zuma will be heard in the Pietermaritzburg Court. Picture: Phill Magakoe
Durban — The pre-trial in the corruption trial against former president Jacob Zuma will be heard in August.
This date was set on Thursday in the Pietermaritzburg High Court. Trial dates for the matter were also set.
Zuma and his co-accused, French company Thales, face charges related to fraud, corruption and money laundering in connection with the arms deal that took place in the 1990s.
The trial has to do with allegations that Zuma accepted a bribe from Thales.
National Prosecuting Authority (NPA) spokesperson Mthunzi Mhaga explained that the first session of the trial would be from April 14 to June 20, and the second and third would be from July 19 to September 21.
“The NPA is relieved that finally the trial date has been set and reserved by the Judge President. We are hoping that there will be no hurdles that the NPA would have to navigate as part of delaying tactics on the part of Mr Zuma. We are hoping that all preliminary issues will be ironed out by 29th August, which is the date set for the pre-trial conference.”
The State alleges that Zuma pocketed bribes from Schabir Shaik, his former financial adviser, to shield Thales (co-accused in the case), a French arms company that won some tenders.
In 2021 Zuma pleaded not guilty to the 18 charges that had been laid against him by the State.
It’s alleged that Zuma started receiving bribes from Shaik in 1995, and that continued until 2005.
In total, the undue benefits allegedly amounted to roughly R4.7 million. This allegedly showed that despite Zuma knowing from as early as 2001 that he was being investigated by the Scorpions for receiving bribes from Shaik, he continued with the alleged illegal acts.
The case has been marred by a number of lengthy adjournments since the charges were reinstated in February 2018, soon after Zuma was recalled as president of the country.
In March, Zuma lost his application for State advocate Billy Downer SC to be removed as prosecutor from the trial.
The former president’s legal team made the application on the basis that Zuma believed he would not get a fair hearing if Downer remained on the case.
This was Zuma’s second attempt to have Downer removed from the case.
Judge Nkosinathi Chili ruled that he was not persuaded that Zuma had succeeded in establishing that the retention of Downer as the prosecutor in this matter could prejudice his right to a fair trial.
Judge Chili began presiding over the case after Judge Piet Koen recused himself from the case, this was after Judge Koen in 2022 had dismissed Zuma’s bid to force out Downer.
Judge Koen, in his decision to recuse himself, said it was to avoid any risk of compromising the perception of justice.
Zuma has lost four court matters regarding his separate private prosecution against Downer for allegedly leaking his medical details to News24 journalist Karyn Maughan.
Zuma claims Downer breached the National Prosecuting Authority Act by doing this.
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