DA praises Presidency decision on Zuma’s legal fees
THE DA has welcomed the decision by the Presidency and Ministry of Justice indicating they would abide by the court decision on whether former president Jacob Zuma should personally pay for his legal bills.
“We have always believed that the ex-president Jacob Zuma is personally liable for costs incurred, which had nothing to do with his position as the president or deputy president or MEC for Economic Development to the extent that he was prosecuted as an individual South African,” DA federal council chairperson James Selfe said.
He said his party was pleased the Presidency, the Ministry of Justice and Correctional Services and state attorney had indicated they would abide by the court ruling. Selfe said Zuma had opposed the DA’s application to reinstate the charges as a private citizen.
“We could find no reason for the state to pick up the costs, estimated at R32 million of taxpayers’ money that is acceptable in criminal defence and opposition to our civil application.”
Selfe said the DA and Zuma would have to file their papers and a court date would decide who was obliged to pay for the defence of the former president.
“The sooner this is sorted out, the better for all concerned,” Selfe added.
In March, the DA filed papers asking the court to declare the decision to pay for Zuma’s legal representation be set aside.
The party also asked the court to order that the R15.3m already spent on the litigation be refunded.
The Presidency incurred R15.3m in legal costs for the protracted court battle between the DA and the National Prosecuting Authority, following the 2009 decision by the authority to drop charges of fraud, corruption, money laundering and racketeering against Zuma.
Yesterday, the Presidency said it had filed a notice in the Pretoria High Court to abide by the court’s decision on the application by the DA. “The Presidency nevertheless intends to submit an explanatory affidavit to assist the court in understanding the history, legal basis, rationale and processes relating to the provision of this support,” it said in a statement.